Pyongyang says it won’t strike South Korea as Moon briefs domestic political leaders
Today, South Korean President Moon Jae-in will convene with leaders of the country’s five main political parties to discuss collaboration regarding warming relations with the North. This comes two days after a South Korean envoy met with President Kim Jong-un for the first time, during which Kim allegedly expressed willingness to discuss disbanding his nuclear program with the United States. Pyongyang has yet to confirm these statements.
With renewed optimism following inter-Korean participation in the Winter Olympics and deliberate efforts to ease tensions, South Korea must compel both the US and North Korea to reconsider their mutually incompatible conditions to discuss North Korea’s nuclear plans. The envoy will next head to Washington this week with the likely intention of persuading President Donald Trump to take advantage of this rare chance to explore meaningful dialogue.
Moon needs US-North Korean cooperation in order to prepare salient solutions before his first summit meeting with Kim in April. These recent developments could be imperative in dislodging paralysed relations between Pyongyang and the West.
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