After some two years of rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula, the reprieve, however brief, that the upcoming Winter Olympics in the South Korean city of Pyeongchang promises to bring is more than welcome. Yet, on Jan 1, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un called for better relations with the South, before agreeing to participate in the Olympics. With one of those goals now ostensibly achieved, Mr Kim has shifted his focus to securing new economic opportunities for North Korea’s sanction-battered economy. According to South Korea’s central bank, North Korea’s economy grew 3.9% in 2016, but may have contracted in 2017. Talks are needed, if only to try to find out the North’s true intentions: is its nuclear programme a defensive or offensive project?

Source: Bangkok Post February 09, 2018 23:15 UTC