After enduring a frozen and hostile relationship for decades, things have seemingly thawed a bit just recently between North and South Korea — or have they? That is the burning question of the moment.
The Winter Olympics in February of this year proved to be a turning point for the two countries. The huge sporting event took place in South Korea, and people from that country joined together with North Korea in the opening ceremony, a North-South women’s hockey game and other peaceful activities. Surely it wasn’t just the Olympics that brought about the improvement, but still, the event seemingly did help, possibly even quite significantly.
Soon after, the relations continued to improve, even after Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea, acted extremely belligerent and aggressive toward South Korea for years. His father and other previous leaders also functioned the same way.
In May 2018, Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in met for talks pertaining to nuclear weapons. A serious issue in recent times has been the denuclearization of North Korea.
At the event that was full of ceremony, Kim crossed over the border between the two countries and into South Korea to greet Moon. Then Kim symbolically crossed over the border back into North Korea with Moon. The two men then crossed back into South Korea, where they engaged in meetings. The two leaders shook hands, smiled and together made history.
The news agency that disseminates information from Kim said the leader would “open-heartedly” discuss with Moon “all the issues arising in improving inter-Korean relations and achieving peace, prosperity and reunification of the Korean peninsula.”
Indeed, the meeting was historic considering not just the recent past but going back many decades. The event marked the first time any North Korean leader from the Kim family, which has ruled the country with an iron fist for far too long, had crossed to the southern side of demilitarized zone since the Korean War’s ceasefire back in 1953.
More recently, just months ago, it seemed that a nuclear conflict was brewing between North Korea and its neighbor or other countries, as Kim was trading angry barbs back and forth with Trump and others. Kim was also posturing himself very aggressively and launching weapons tests to exert his authority.
North Korea claims it already has nuclear weapons. Whether it really does or not is not certain. But such weapons in the hands of volatile and highly unpredictable people like that could prove devastating to their neighbors and beyond.
Leaders and citizens around the world, including in the United States, are cautiously optimistic about the possibly improving relationship between North and South Korea. On the other hand, many are not fully trusting the intentions and agenda of Kim — and for good reason. Kim has been very vocal even just recently, such as in the months before the Olympics, about his hatred toward various countries, including the United States. It is wise to handle him with kid gloves and extreme caution until he proves himself to be someone who can be trusted and someone who truly desires peace and cooperation.
Coming up in the near future, President Trump is scheduled to meet with Kim. This comes after the trading of verbal attacks between Trump and Kim, including Trump’s infamous referring to Kim as “Rocket Man” because of his aspirations to attack various countries with his weapons.
So, will the relationship between Norea Korea and South Korea, as well as the interactions between North Korea and the United States, improve at all? What can we expect? When dealing with someone like Kim and his colleagues from North Korea, that question does not really have a definitive answer at this point. Given this, it’s wise to keep a close eye on the situation and hope for the best while being wise about the type of complex dynamics and people that are involved.
~ Conservative Zone
All I have to say is………..You’re stupid! Tread lightly? That is why nothing has been done to bring the North and South together. Only a fire horse will bring these two together. A fire horse like President Donald Trump!
Kim’s strategy all along has been reunification. After that he will have more power and influence.
Reunification would not work because of the economic and political differences, unless Kim is wiling to give up his control of North Korea.
I agree!
I think that Trump should tell Ding-a-ling Un that we can do a lot to improve things in NK, but the nuclear reactor and all nuclear weapons and nuclear weapon technology and materials must be removed. Once that occurs, a more cordial relationship can begin to happen and things in NK can begin to improve.
IF Kim allows the North people to go South they may never return, IF Kim allows the South to go North it will benefit the people of the country. He may not like that.
Yes I agree . I have been wondering how this could work. Still 2 Korea’s or one Korea? Who would be the new leader of the two countries? I can not see Kim Jung UN giving up his power. I can not believe for a second that the South Korean people will voluntarily give kim power over them. There would need to be bigger and more concentration work camps. I just can not see this happening.
Those who refuse the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them.
Hopefully they can get the peace worked out but the north is so poor except for the military and the people need to get help and the only weapons he will give up are the ones that are contaminated and we will have to clean up them and then pay for it and then feed the people and rebuild the country for them and he will never decrease the military
No, the peace will not last! It is just another con job by the little fat man! I think in the end we will have to Nuke North Korea and take the country over! South Korea will have to manage both NK and SK!
What really scares me, is if President Trump falls for Kim saying they will stop all nuclear activity. North Korean people are starving to death, & Kim is looking for a handout. He recently came back from China, & was told to play along with the dumb Americans, as almost all other countries in the World have done. American dollars have supported darn near all other countries, & most of them hate the USA. We give Billions away to other countries every year, while many in the USA are starving. I believe in what Trump has said. The USA comes FIRST ! I am also a little concerned with the South Korea Leader. Seems like all of a sudden he has become good buddies with Kim.
If they want to live it will last.
North Korea and Iran are pretty much in the same boat as to development of Nuclear weapons, both are threatening and if N.K. gives up its nuclearization then I would be suspicious of Iran…so President Trump needs to shut down Iran (kill the Iran deal) and any deals with N.K. a close, very close monitoring after All Nuclear weapons and sites closed down, utterly destroyed. China’s talk wirh N. Korea is worrisome…while attention to N.K. and Iran…China seems a little too laid back recently…attention is being drawn elsewhere so something is going on with China. What is N.K. going to do with all its development? Destruction is the only answer, not ‘shut down’, same with Iran. Obama was wrong to have made a deal with Iran, Obama was wrong as to DACA/Immigration; Obama was wrong as to Socialism in Medicine as well as attempting to kill Free Speech. Obama’s lies and deceits to America and that includes his Administration as well as those in Congress who let it happen, are far Worse than anything President Trump did prior to his Presidency; which has nothing to do with Trump Campaign/Russian collusion which was never done, but President Trump ‘Personal Life’. Here is a President who has truly done much good for this Nation in such a short time, has taken much criticism from the biased News Media and Democrats and RINOS D-A-I-L-Y, yet works to Make American Great and takes on N.K. and Iran and China and any other Countries who want to take us down or take advantage-he truly puts America (U.S. of A.) First. As to N.K. and S.K. at present, they may look congenial but looks can be deceiving, That is why Obama sealed all his Records.