While most North Americans were asleep in their beds, the decision to back down on increased threats against South Korea was conceded by the North. New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, travelling with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, arrived in Pyongyang on the 16th to help ease tensions on the peninsula. Richardson’s trip happened to coincide with planned artillery drills from South Korea, drills that were condemned by North Korea who threatened swift retaliation if they were to move forward.

South Korea proceeded with the drills early in the afternoon, which went on for 94 minutes, and the world waited for the North Korean response. Later it was announced that North Korea would agree to UN nuclear inspectors to tour their Yeongbyon nuclear complex, where it was recently determined that an effort to kick-start uranium enrichment had begun. The North also agreed to ship 12,000 fresh nuclear rods out of the country. A “hotline”, similar to the direct line of contact between Russian and US leaders during the cold war, was also recommended to be established between the two Koreas.  North Korea has since dismissed the claim via KCNA:

This was nothing but a childish play with fire of cowards without an equal as they made much fuss, firing shells left unused during the military provocation on November 23 after shifting by stealth the waters to be a scene of the projected shelling and its target for fear of the KPA′s second and third retaliatory blows for self-defence.
The revolutionary armed forces of the DPRK did not feel any need to retaliate against every despicable military provocation like one taking revenge after facing a blow.

Richardson and Blitzer have postponed their flight home a day, apparently due to weather in the form of a thick fog. On CNN’s political blog, Blitzer described the weather: “Everyone who witnessed it, including our North Korean handlers, said it was the worst fog they’d ever been in.” They’ve since been occupying their time with Western karaoke and puffing cigars. KCNA also reports that Governor Richardson also came to Pyongyang with a gift for Kim Jong-Il, though what that gift was has yet to be disclosed.

Source: CNN (1) / Yonhap News / KCNA