Why in news?
Despite multiple challenges, resumption of dialogue between the North and South Koreas has reignited hopes of a possible ease in tensions.
What drove the talks?
- North Korea’s latest ballistic missile launches and nuclear explosions have raised global alarm over the region’s safety for travel and tourism.
- South Korea wants to reduce tensions immediately, to ensure the safe conduct of the approaching winter Olympic Games that it is hosting next month.
- Hence, Seoul sees the confirmation of North Korean participation in the games and parallel peace talks as vital for the successful conduct of the games.
- Simultaneously, North eyes an opportunity to get de-facto recognition as a nuclear state, which is a vantage point for negotiating for lifting sanctions.
- Hence, talks between Seoul and Pyongyang has resumed after two years.
What were some significant compromises?
- South Korean President Mr.Moon, has been a staunch advocate of a negotiated resolution of the North Korean nuclear stand-off.
- On that note, the U.S. and South Korea had agreed for delaying their joint military exercises in exchange for a freeze in North Korea’s nuclear program.
- Notably, the joint military exercise was an irritant for both Pyongyang and Beijing, as both saw them as interference in their backyard.
- China even imposed an unofficial blockade on South Korean trade and tourism for a while after the installation of US’s THAAD missiles in its territory.
- While denuclearisation on the Peninsula is still far off, as talks have resumed after two years, it has created considerable hope.
Source: The Hindu
