US must drop hardline stance in name of peace
Sport has taken second place to diplomacy at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics but, despite all the gestures between the two Koreas, Washington will have the final say
A handwritten offer of a summit by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, delivered by his visiting younger sister Kim Yo-jong at a meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, was the highlight of a series of symbolic gestures made since the Games began on Friday.
The two sides marched under the unification flag at the opening ceremony, formed a joint women’s ice hockey team and persuaded the United Nations to temporarily waive sanctions and to approve hundreds of representatives from the North, including athletes, cheerleaders and an art troupe.
However, reconciliation and peace on the peninsula will remain a dream while the United States stands in the way.
Moon held four meetings with Kim Yo-jong and the North Korean delegation, showing the desire for relations to move positively forward. But the South Korean leader would not commit to the offer of a summit, instead saying that the “right conditions” had to first be in place.
Those conditions are as much about convincing domestic political opponents of the benefits as getting military ally Washington on board. The administration of US President Donald Trump rejects such a suggestion, maintaining that talks are not an option until the North ends its nuclear and missile programmes.