One, unlike during the Cold War, the value of the espionage that these people appear to have conducted seems close to worthless, on both sides.

Open-source spying does have its risks, of course, since it can be difficult to tell good information from bad.

In contrast, Chinese intelligence agents steer clear of people who are vindictive, since the agents believe they may become volatile and explosive.

But that was not the biggest surprise. The stunning reversal was based less on surmise than on seemingly sound intelligence ? a sign that American spying might be working.

South Korean intelligence official said: “If the North Korean people were aware of this money while they have suffered, then it is possible they could rise up against the regime.