North Korea: Just one day after North Korea agreed to abandon its nuclear weapons programme, Pyongyang renewed its controversial call for a civilian atomic reactor, a sign that horse trading has already begun ahead of November's next round of talks.
Under the terms of the deal signed by both Koreas, the US, Russia, Japan and China, Pyongyang agreed to wind up its nuclear weapons plan in exchange for energy aid from South Korea and other economic sweeteners, as well as guarantees that the US would not invade.
Coming at the end of a three-year stand-off on the Korean peninsula over the North's nuclear ambitions, the communique was hailed as an important breakthrough, and included a pledge by Pyongyang to return to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.
The six countries sidestepped one of the thorniest issues - that of North Korea's demands for a light-water nuclear reactor - by agreeing to discuss the matter "at an appropriate time".
Even though the deal was hailed as historic and one which eased nuclear tensions in east Asia, no one really expected it to be easy.
Sure enough, within 24 hours of the signatures on the deal, the North's foreign ministry ran a lengthy statement on the Korean Central News Agency which seemed to fly in the face of the communique.
"The US should not even dream of the issue of the DPRK's [ North Korea's] dismantlement of its nuclear deterrent before providing light-water reactors, a physical guarantee for confidence-building," it said. "This is our just and consistent stand, as solid as a deeply rooted rock."
Pyongyang also reiterated its "right to peaceful nuclear activities" and deputy foreign minister Kim Kye-gwan underlined his country's stubborn negotiating tactics when he said his country was not prepared to make the first move.
"They are telling us to give up everything, but there will be no such thing as giving it up first," he said.
The demand for a light-water reactor, which proliferation experts say is less easily diverted for weapons use, came as a surprise and burst the initial bubble of euphoria following Monday's breakthrough agreement.
Analysts said the demand, which was couched in the strong language favoured by the secretive Stalinist regime, was probably a face-saving piece of jingoism aimed at the North Korean people and most likely marked the start of what are sure to be difficult negotiations set for Beijing in November.
But while the forceful call for a civilian programme does not mean the deal has collapsed, it certainly functions as a reminder of how difficult North Korea can be to deal with, particularly as both Japan and the US have already thrown out Pyongyang's demand for a reactor.
"We must watch North Korea closely to see if there is really a fundamental difference on that point," said Japan's chief cabinet spokesman Hiroyuki Hosoda. "If we are completely at odds, that will mean going back to the beginning, but we do not believe that is the case."
North Korea has backtracked on statements before which had seemed writ in stone, including an agreement between Washington and Pyongyang in 1994 which promised North Korea two light-water reactors for power.
That deal broke down in 2002 when US officials accused the North of running a secret nuclear weapons programme, prompting the current six-party talks.
The US state department kept its response cautious, saying simply that the North's views did not match the agreement signed in Beijing.
"This is not the agreement that they signed and we'll give them some time to reflect on the agreement they signed," state department spokesman Sean McCormack said in New York.
China, which has won major kudos for brokering the deal, asked all sides to fulfil their promises.
On the plus side, Tokyo and Pyongyang agreed to resume bilateral talks, which have broken down amid strains over the issue of Japanese citizens kidnapped by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s.