(Jung Ui-Chel/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)On Jan. 9, North and South Korea met for their first direct talks in two years. In particular, critics warn that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un may be reaching out to Seoul to drive a wedge in the U.S.-South Korea alliance. U.S. and South Korean forces are deeply integratedThe U.S.-South Korea alliance has been formalized since the Korean War ended in 1953 in an armistice. As its capabilities continue to evolve, South Korea will eventually assume wartime operational control, called OPCON — although it will be years before South Korea meets the agreed-upon conditions for that transfer. North Korea could indeed create a wedge between the United States and South Korea, reducing the alliance’s effectiveness in facing the North Korean nuclear threat.

Source: Washington Post January 12, 2018 12:00 UTC