Thursday of June 25 was the 70th anniversary of the start of the Korean War that was fought between North Korea backed by the communist Soviet Union and South Korea backed by the democratic United States.
The Korean war ended without a peace treaty which leaves S. Korea and N. Korea still at war today with the Demilitarized Zone at the 38th parallel diving the two Koreas.
Continued sanctions for North Korea, the unprecedented coronavirus pandemic, the deteriorating health of the North Korean dictator, and the U.S.
presidential election forthcoming pose challenges to securing a denuclearization deal any time soon.
Recently, North Korea, furious with defectors in South Korea flying balloons with anti-Pyongyang leaflets, destroyed an inter-Korean liaison office heightening the tension between the two Koreas.
"In many respects, the Kim regime is doing what it always does: dial up so-called pressure in a way to get the spotlight back then dial it back when the desired effect has been achieved, something they have been doing on and off for decades," Harry Kazianis, the senior director of Korean studies at the Center for the National Interest said.
Kazianis pointed out that the combination of Moon and Trump is the best chance Kim has to "forge not only a lasting peace but get meaningful sanctions relief for his weapons mass destruction programs."
Joseph Yun, a former special representative for North Korea policy suggested to wait until after the U.S. presidential election, "I think there is an opportunity once the election is over in November -- whether Biden wins or Trump wins -- to have a review of North Korea policy and chart a more sensible and more realistic course."
Meanwhile, Kazianis thinks "there is no telling what Kim might do" but concludes that "looking at how Kim is dialing back tensions once again, he could be setting the stage to try and make history with Trump one last time."
