It’s time for North Korea to make a fresh start

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un continues to stun the world with a flurry of announcements and meetings he has had in the last few weeks. The sudden friendly gestures towards South Korea, proposal to meet the US president, surprise visit to Beijing, and now the announcement of suspending nuclear and missile tests, and shutting down nuclear test sites come as a surprise. Interestingly, it is a far cry from the situation only months ago when news of frequent missile tests kept diplomats on edge and fears of a nuclear war loomed large. The situation has seemingly turned better since the start of this year, and now the leader of the North is talking positively about resolving the issue of denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. But so far it seems too good to be true. After all, Kim Jong-un’s father and grandfather also frequently talked about ‘denuclearisation’ while biding their time, and clandestinely worked on the country’s nuclear programme.

North Korea has continually invested in developing nuclear capability at the cost of social and economic progress. The country is languishing, and its people are suffering primarily due to the insecurities and dangerous ambitions of their leader. It is difficult to surmise what is bringing about this change. Kim might believe that he can negotiate from a position of strength since he has ballistic missiles and nuclear capability, or may be he is buckling under the ‘maximum pressure’ tactics of the US president and is looking for alternatives. Yet, it would be a boon to bring North Korea to the global community and allow it to open up gradually. North Korea and its people could benefit socially and economically, and Kim could use this opportunity to usher in a new era and bring about real change. Improved relations with neighbours South Korea and Japan would be mutually beneficial and open the world of opportunities. However, it remains to be seen if Kim will yield to the demands of the West and is truly ready for change. A sustained thaw is what we need. But for now the diplomatic overtures are only raising expectations that may, or may not be met.