North Korea has sent 12 economic officials to San Diego to study capitalism, at the invitation of the Institute on Global Conflict.

While this is probably some kind of stunt, and the U.S. has called it a private and not diplomatic mission, some analysts say Pyongyang really is considering limited market reform.

From JoongAng Daily:

Could it be a signal that the North is finally getting serious about introducing more market-based economic reforms as leader Kim Jong-il searches for substantial achievement to smooth his relinquishment of power to his youngest son Jong-un? Has the reformist message that China, its closest ally, has been hammering home for years finally gotten across? Or is the envoys’ mission just a conciliatory gesture to try to woo food aid from the U.S. amid a deepening food crisis?