Political tensions with North Korea and the United States have been heating up for years.
Discussions over whether nuclear war would eventually come were already taking place.
Shortly thereafter, the Trump administration was able to make a deal with North Korea after
the 2018 Winter Olympics whereby they agreed to sit down and discuss peace talks.
Details regarding this meeting are beginning to emerge.
South Korea, a staunch and loyal ally of the United States, has been playing intermediary
since the Winter Olympics where they agreed to have a one Korea team.
Something that had not been done in decades.
They recently made the United States aware that Kim Jong-un agreed to high-level discussions
with South Korea in Panmunjom on March 29th.
It is a small border village that provides intimacy and quiet in North Korea while straddling
the Demilitarized Zone.
The U.S. – North Korea talks are being finalized as well.
The Daily Star reported,
'Its announcement comes ahead of the highly-anticipated talks between Donald Trump and Kim.
The rogue state is expected to release three US prisoners as a goodwill gesture before
the May meeting.
Captives Kim Dong Chul, Kim Sang-duk ad Kim Hak-song, were all accused of so-called "hostile
acts" against Pyongyang.
US-North Korea relations expert, Frank Jannuzi said he "would not be surprised" if Kim
released the prisoners.
He added: "I don't want to get their families' hopes up but I would not be surprised if the
North Koreans take that step.
"It would send a very positive message.
The North Koreans have studied Donald Trump very carefully since he was elected in 2016.
"We have to remember that these three are of no strategic relevance at all.
They know that to release them would allow him to claim a victory.'
But, there are fears the talks could collapse following the US' statement it would carry
out intense military drills on Easter Sunday.
Seoul and Washington said in January they would delay the annual exercises, known as
Key Resolve and Foal Eagle, until after the Olympics and Paralympics held in South Korea.
North Korea sees the drills as a rehearsal for invasion."
The meeting between North and South Korea in March is expected to be followed by President
Trump sitting down with North Korea shortly thereafter.
If this were to occur President Trump would be the first American president to sit down
with the leader of North Korea.
Something which is very symbolic because North Korea and the United States are still technically
at war because the 1950-1953 Korean War was ended in a truce but not a peace treaty.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in recently said the following regarding how important
the venue is to their meeting,
'The North Korea-United States summit, which will follow the inter-Korean summit, will
itself be a momentous event in world history.
Depending on where the meeting takes place, it will look even more dramatic, and depending
on progress, there can be a three-way summit among South and North Korea and the United
States.'
While South Korea has agreed to meet North Korea in Panmunjom the United States probably
will not be.
The town has a historical significance to the United States because North Korean soldiers
murdered two U.S. Army officers in 1976 with axes.
Discussions about talks taking place in Sweden and Switzerland have been rolling around but
nothing has been confirmed.
The New York Times reported,
'South Korea proposed holding high-level talks at Panmunjom on March 29 to discuss
the agenda and other details of the inter-Korean summit meeting.
North Korea has yet to publicly announce that Mr. Kim has invited Mr. Trump to a summit
meeting, and its state-run news media has not reported on Mr. Trump's acceptance of
the offer or the agreement to hold an inter-Korean meeting.
Analysts said the silence was not unusual for the North Korean regime, which could fear
raising expectations too early among its people.
United States officials have been reaching out to the North Koreans to hear directly
from them about Mr. Kim's invitation and learn more about his intentions, particularly
since he was quoted by South Korean envoys as telling them he was interested in discussing
denuclearizing his country.
Officials and analysts remain unsure whether Mr. Kim's offer signals a fundamental shift
toward dismantling his nuclear arsenal or represents a short-term ploy to confuse his
enemies, ease sanctions and buy time to further advance his nuclear weapons and intercontinental
ballistic missile programs.
The plan to hold summit meetings within just weeks of each other is presenting unprecedented
challenges to diplomatic officials.
The leaders would most likely face each other without first having lower-ranking officials
work out nettlesome details of an ambitious agenda, particularly how to end the North's
nuclear weapons program.'
Regardless of how the meeting will actually take place, it is clear it will take place
and both countries are stepping closer to actually making it come to fruition.
Whether it is in North Korea or Europe, it will happen, but what comes about as a result
of the meeting remains to be seen.
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