On 12 Jun 2018, Donald Trump, President of the United States (US) and Kim Jong Un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic Republic of North Korea (DPRK) will be meeting in Sentosa, a small island off the mainland of Singapore to discuss the de-nuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.
For those not in the know, here's a short history lesson. The Korean War started in 25 Jun 1950 and ended in 27 July 1953. The war ended in an armistice and a peace treaty has never been signed. Thus, technically, the two Koreas are still at war. After the war ended in exhaustion, both nations have embarked on separate development paths.
South Korea was first a dictatorship and then, now, a democracy with a thriving industrial base and economy. South Korean companies such as Samsung and LG are known throughout the world, especially since the advent of the smartphone. South Korean music, commonly called K-pop, and drama serials, K-drama, are all the rage in Asian countries at the moment and the Korean cultural wave does not seem like it's ebbing at all.
North Korea has been ruled as a socialist state since the end of the Korean War by the Kim family. Kim Jong Un took power on 3o December 2011 after his father, Kim Jong Il died on 17 December 2011. North Korea is known, at least by most Western mainstream media, as a secretive police state where people are required to pay respects to their Dear Leader on many occasions. It is also notorious for jailing US citizens who visit the country and poke their noses into corners where they are not supposed to.
Here in Singapore, North Korea is viewed differently. Singapore is one of the rare few countries in the world that have diplomatic ties with North Korea. Many Singaporeans also visit North Korea on tours or for business purposes. A Singaporean businessman, Patrick Soh, even opened a fast food restaurant in North Korea. He trained the local people in the skills necessary to operate the fast food joint. A Singaporean who has not been brain washed by the Western mainstream media would think of North Korea as a rather quiet place where the roads are almost empty (a rarity in Singapore despite high prices for cars).
Now Donald Trump has a chance to make history. If he can bring his negotiating skills to bear and persuade Kim Jong Un to sign a peace treaty, this would cement his and Kim Jong Un's place in world history as the people who brought peace to the Korean peninsular after more than 60 years. This would truly be worthy of a Nobel Peace Prize for both of them and cause despair in the American camp that seriously despise Donald Trump.
Here's my contribution. I have used the Yi Jing (易经) or I-Ching, to try to predict the outcome of this summit. Using an online Yi Jing website, I asked the exact same question as that which appears in the title of this post. I obtained two hexagrams: Hexagram 4 with the 3rd the 5th changing lines and Hexagram 57 after applying the changing lines. What do they mean?
Hexagram 4 has the meaning of Immaturity. This is not necessarily bad in itself. The 3rd line is a warning not to be taken in by empty promises. The 5th line says that innocence is good. I would interpret this to mean that both parties have to negotiate in good faith and not empty promises (no surprise there). The 5th line says that less suspicion would lead to a better outcome.
Hexagram 57 has the meaning of Conformity. I would interpret this to mean that if both parties can give ground on small matters, there will be progress.
Here is my prediction. I predict that there will be a meaningful breakthrough in this summit. If Donald Trump can live up to his reputation of serving surprises, I predict a signing of a peace treaty that ends the Korean War. Let's see whether my bold prediction works out on 12 Jun 2018.