In what can only be described as 'unexpected' The North Korean regime announced early Saturday morning that it is finished with it's nuclear testing.
Just after sunrise on April 21st, The hermit nation reported through its state run media outlet KCNA that it has no further need to conduct nuclear tests. This is a dramatic change of direction from the usual aggressive and provocative isolated nation, that has continually pushed the boundaries with its nuclear tests and further isolated the country from the rest of the world.
The North Korean announcement highlighted 6 points where it intends to make changes:
- North Korea has reached it's nuclear goals.
- North Korea will henceforth halt all nuclear tests, including abandonment of it's test facility.
- North Korea will move to join international efforts to halt nuclear efforts worldwide.
- North Korea will not use nuclear weapons unless provoked and as a last resort.
- North Korea will shift it's focus to a strong socialist economy.
- North Korea will intensify and strengthen relations with the international community to promote peace going forward.
I have paraphrased each of the 6 points released in the statement, you can read the English translation here
The timing of this announcement comes just one week before the leaders of the two Korea's are scheduled to meet at the Demilitarized zone located between the two countries. It also comes just 3 weeks after Kim Jong Un made a visit to Beijing, conducting high level talks with the Chinese government and lengthy dialogue with Xi Xin Ping. Furthermore a summit with American leader Donald Trump is scheduled to take place in late May. The exact date and location of the summit has yet to be determined but it marks the first time in over a decade that a sitting American president will meet with the leader of North Korea. Thoughts are that the meeting will take place on neutral soil, perhaps Singapore, Switzerland, Sweden or Mongolia, but as of yet nothing has been set in stone.
The last few months have been a dramatic change from the usual rhetoric between the two nations and 2018 has started out more promising than any time in recent history. The 2018 Olympic games in PyeongChang also marked the first time in more than a decade that the two nations marched together under the unification flag. In total North Korea sent 22 athletes to the 2018 Olympic Winter games and overall it was a success. Watching the North and South Korean athletes march in to the opening ceremonies under a unified flag was enough to give any pessimist a little bit of hope that things might actually work out on the peninsula without loss of life. I still believe this is exactly what the Olympics symbolize as sport is something that is universal and has the power to unite nations even in the most grim times
Having spent 8 years living on the peninsula, I can say without a doubt that right now is the most promising time I have ever seen regarding the relations between the two Korea's. Over the past decade, there were many escalations and provocations between the American - South Korean - North Korean triangle as the nations took turns flexing their muscles and retaliating to each others military practices. Perhaps the media blew things out of proportion but there were times when tensions were high, such as the sinking of the Cheonan submarine.
I am optimistically skeptical that these promises will come to fruition as we have seen time and time again talks break down and this resorts to treaty's being broken. Over the years there have been many attempts at peace on the peninsula but thus far, nothing has been overly successful. However, if in the coming months, these talks lead to disarmament and tensions are relaxed, who are we to praise for the outcome? Should it be the new liberal minded Moon Jae In, the South Korean president? Should it be the Twitter happy Donald Trump? Should it be the voice in the ear and biggest ally China (Xi Xin Ping? Or should it be a combination of the above?
Basing my thoughts on history, I feel as though its not this simple. North Korea rarely if ever concedes to anything without having something up their sleeve. Perhaps there is another play hear that has yet to be revealed, or perhaps the North Korean government is finally feeling the squeeze of the international sanctions that have been imposed. Either way, don't take things at face value, there is still a lot of work, deceit, manipulation and likely broken promises left before this situation is resolved
Overall, hearing today's announcement I am hopefully optimistic that the high level discussions scheduled to take place over the next few months will lead to deescalation on the peninsula and that the border between the two nations becomes a little more fluid. Ultimately it is the people who have suffered because of this stalemate. Koreans on both sides of the border have been separated from loved ones. North Korean citizens have long been deprived of basic human rights that we take for granted in the West and hopefully with successful talks, the people of the worlds most isolated nation begin to live happier, healthier lives.
