The conduct of North Korea in taking hostages is completely identical to the conduct of Hamas or Hezbollah. In both cases the only rational thing to do is to drain the hostages of value.

Congress should pass an Act declaring the two hostages legally dead and proclaiming a National Day of Mourning with an appropriate ceremony in the National Cathedral. We can then make it unambiguously clear that we care for the least of our own by denying the Norks the privilege of using South Koreans as hostages by entering an aggressive campaign of interdiction and destruction of NorK assets. We should declare the 1953 Cease Fire to be void. If the hostages are returned unharmed then Congress can legally restore them to life and a new and improved Cease Fire agreement can be signed.