PYONGYANG SHOULD ABIDE BY ITS VOWS

At last, it looks like there’s light at the end of the tunnel as far as denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula is concerned. After repeatedly snubbing the international community and conducting his country’s sixth and most powerful nuclear test and three long-range missile test launches last year, Kim Jong-un, leader of North Korea, has declared that further nuclear missile tests are no longer needed.

The announcement indeed comes as a positive development. For a country to say so after a rebellious decades-long pursuit of nuclear-armed missiles does come as a surprise, but giving peace a chance is always the best option.

With the United States and North Korea planning to hold a summit meeting by May, the peace process seems to be gaining momentum.

An inter-korean summit is due to take place on April 27. The setting up of a direct telephone link between the two Korean leaders will further help build trust between the two nations.

South Korea has halted anti-north Korea propaganda broadcasts ACROSS THE TENSE BORDER AS OFICIALS FROM BOTH SIDES WORK OUT DETAILS of their leaders’ upcoming talks.

The Koreas have also agreed to allow live television broadcasts for key parts of the summit.

For years, provocation remained the name of the game for Pyongyang. Just a few months ago, it declared it could wipe the United States off the face of the earth.

Dangerous narratives and the lack of communication channels added to uncertainty and worry about the risk of military confrontation.

North Korea also suffered from decades of economic mismanagement, which worsened when the demise of the Soviet Union ended the INANCIAL SUPPORT THAT HAD HELPED TO PLUG THE GAPS.

Average incomes were stated to be less than one-twentieth of those in the South in 2016.

Kim’s announcements so far do not include a commitment to scrap existing nuclear weapons and missiles, and this has led to persisting doubts whether he would actually ever give up the nuclear arsenal.

This concern needs to be addressed effectively by the leaders during the dialogue process.

Nuclear weapons are the worst enemies of humanity. North Korea’s DECISION TO TAME ITS IERY RHETORIC AND GIVE DIPLOMACY A CHANCE IS A step in the right direction.

All parties concerned should do their best to push towards peaceful denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula in accordance with relevant UN Security Council resolutions. If there’s a will, there surely will be a way.