THE speed with which Kim Jong Un, North Korea’s dictator, has developed missiles, now believed to be capable of hitting America, has been startling. Since the start of the year, the pace of diplomacy with the rogue state has been similarly rapid.
THE speed with which Kim Jong Un, North Korea’s dictator, has developed missiles, now believed to be capable of hitting America, has been startling. Since the start of the year, the pace of diplomacy with the rogue state has been similarly rapid. On March 6th South Korean envoys returned from meeting Mr Kim in his capital, Pyongyang, with a message for America. He is willing, they said, to sit down and talk, even about denuclearising the Korean peninsula—an American condition for talks that North Korea had rejected just days before. The North has not contradicted the South Korean statement, although its media talk of “open-hearted” talks without mentioning denuclearisation.
The southern delegation’s two-day visit came hot on the heels of North Korea’s participation in the Winter Olympics in the South Korean resort of Pyeongchang, during which northern officials met Moon Jae-in, the South’s president. This week the two sides agreed to hold a summit next month between Mr Moon and Mr Kim. The two leaders will also set up a hotline.
Chung Eui-yong, Mr Moon’s national-security adviser, said Mr Kim had been exceptionally flexible, promising not to test any missiles during negotiations. Nor did he demand a suspension of joint military exercises by America and South Korea. It is striking that Mr Kim has agreed to meet on the South Korean side of the demilitarised zone between the two Koreas, whereas past South Korean leaders were forced to go to Pyongyang to meet Kim Jong Il, Mr Kim’s father.
The North Korean leader was also exceptionally hospitable.
