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North Korean leader Kim Jong-il may face a more pernicious challenge than either a "preemptive strike" by the United States or a power grab by generals eager to fill the power vacuum created by his illness.

Think Choco Pie, the thick wafer-like confection, all pastry and cream, served in the Kaesong Industrial Complex as a daily dessert for the 40,000 North Koreans who toil for 100 South Korean companies with factories in the complex.

"North Koreans love Choco Pie," said Ha Tae-keung, president of NK Open Radio, which beams two hours of news daily into North Korea from its base in Seoul. "It's an invasion of the stomach."

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The danger of South Korean cultural infiltration apparently trumps the need for the hard currency that the North makes from the South in the form of pay for the workers and rent for the land occupied by South Korean factories. Or, as Ha put it, "It's money versus regime stability."

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"Kim Jong-il wants to blame South Korea,” said Ha Tae Keung. "Choco Pie is aggravating the problem."