North Korean leader Ri Son Gwon (right) shakes hands with his South Korean counterpart Cho Myoung-gyon during their meeting on the South Korean side of the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas, January 9, 2018. REUTERS/Korea Pool
Peter Apps, Reuters: Why Kim Jong Un wanted the Korea talks
Last year Kim Jong Un shocked the world with the unexpected speed of his nuclear missile development, his brutal crackdown on apparent rivals and suspicions that he ordered the assassination of his half-brother with a chemical nerve agent. This year, the North Korean leader is opening January with a diplomatic offensive – but that doesn’t mean a change of strategy.
North Korean officials met their southern counterparts on Tuesday for the first such talks in two years. The outcome was an agreement to send a delegation to the Winter Olympics being hosted by South Korea next month as well as to hold military-to-military talks.
Openness to dialogue is, of course, a mildly positive signal. None of that, however, means North Korea has any intention of slowing its drive for evermore powerful nuclear missiles and warheads, specifically those that would allow it to hit the United States. Instead, Pyongyang appears to be pursuing a deliberate and increasingly successful strategy to drive a wedge between Washington and South Korea.
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WNU Editor: We know that North Korea is not going to give up its nuclear and missile programs .... so why the decision to enter talks anywayP The answer is to buy time, stop the momentum for more sanctions, and to test how strong is the U.S. - South Korean relationship. But the real question that should be asked is .... why did South Korea push to have these talks (peace during the Olympics?), and what was the price for the North Koreans to come and sit at the table.
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