This story is a few days old, but offers some insight into the mind of the world's most reclusive dictator. From the blog China Rises, which is an otherwise excellent resource on life in mainland China, comes this bizarre story of Kim Jong-Il's war on Japanese automobiles.

In one of the stranger items out of North Korea lately comes this new report that Kim Jong Il has issued an edict ordering most Japanese cars in the country seized.

According to South Korea’s semi-official Yonhap news agency, Kim grew angry when he saw a Japanese car stalled and blocking the road. So he ordered Japanese cars impounded. The event occurred Jan. 1 as Kim was going to visit his father’s mausoleum.

The upside: If the recently negotiated nuke deal leads to a thawing of relations between the United States and North Korea, America's struggling automobile industry may finally find a market where it can compete with the likes of Toyota.