October, 2006: The U.N. sanctioned a long list of delectable goods that could no longer pass over North Korea’s borders. This was no typical maneuver to target military build-up or weapon designs. Instead, the U.N. hoped to entice Kim Jong Il away from his nuclear warheads by blacklisting luxury items specific to his extravagant tastes.

At first, we thought the strategy was a soft, hand-slapping diplomacy—more like a parent’s decision to forgo presents at Christmas than an effective political move towards non-proliferation. But we were wrong! Manipulating the dictator by his expensive tastes may have been a clever move, because, in February, 2007, North Korea took new steps toward ending its nuclear program.

Now that we’re this much closer towards global peace, we ask: What could have caused Kim Jong Il’s change of heart? Was it the realization that it’s always best to stay in the good graces of the free world, or was it a penchant for a certain transportation device known as … the Segway?

North Korea, however, has yet to uphold their end of the bargain. They missed a deadline to shut down their reactor just this past week.