ADMIT it. The world’s commentators, Banyan included, have underestimated North Korea’s leader. Kim Jong Un was preparing this week to meet South Korea’s president, Moon Jae-in, on the southern side of the demilitarised zone between their two countries, on April 27th, just after The Economist went to press. Even six months ago, no one imagined Mr Kim capable of leading a diplomatic dance that has drawn in not just South Korea but America and China. He is proving to be an adept young dictator.
This week’s summit is due to discuss a formal peace treaty that has eluded leaders of North and South Korea since the Korean war ended in an armistice in 1953, entrenching the bitter division of the peninsula. It is also meant to pave the way for a summit between Mr Kim and President Donald Trump, in late May or early June at a venue that has yet to be announced.
Some still rub their eyes at the prospect of the first-ever meeting between a North Korean leader and a...Continue reading
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