// /KCNA / EPA
Or North Korean leader Kim Jong-un
Kim Jong-un’s sister also recognizes: there may be a path to a more peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula. But it could just be caution, in a very unstable geopolitical phase.
The moment surprised everyone and everything at the most recent congress of the Workers’ Party, when the supreme North Korean leader Kim Jong-un praised the South Korean President Lee Jae Myung.
After once again classifying South Korea (with which it is technically at war) as the “immutable main enemy” and threatening to provoke the “total collapse” of Seoul, Kim Jong-un, the South Korean president, as a “honest and open-minded” manaccording to the sister of the North Korean leader and regime spokesperson, Kim Yo Jong.
The unexpected change of tone came after an official apology from Lee Jae Myung on Monday regarding the entry of South Korean drones into North Korean airspace, according to .
The incident occurred several times between September and January and was the reason for a escalation of tensions among neighbors. Three South Korean citizens were even indicted for alleged violations of North Korean aviation laws.
Seoul’s diplomatic response included recognition of “reckless” behavior and proposals to reduce tensions, such as reduction in joint military exercises with the United States and private sector cooperation initiatives. But Pyongyang has not responded to these overtures until now.
Lee’s gesture of reconciliation was described by Kim Yo Jong — one of the favorites for the succession — as “very timely and sensible” behavior, to which the South Korean government responded by expressing hope that the episode could pave the way for a more peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula.
Despite the advances, experts on the Korean conflict consulted by the WSJ consider that the change in tone should not significantly alter relations on the peninsula: the North Korean regime may just be carefully managing the risk of escalation at a time of greater geopolitical sensitivity, including the proximity of diplomatic meetings between great powers.
Meanwhile, the position of the United States also enters the equation, with President Donald Trump publicly mentioning his relationship with Kim Jong Un — namely a conversation in which, according to the current North American president, Kim called Joe Biden “mentally retarded”.
