Last week's summit between the leaders of South Korea and North Korea piles more hope on the chances for peace and a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula. There are plenty of hurdles left, however, and Pyongyang must work hard to leave behind its lamentable record of resorting to bait-and-switch tactics. But what is known and sensed from the talks between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un provides optimism. North Korea may finally be ready to accept the invitation to emerge as part of the responsible world community.
It is sobering to realise that this de facto change in attitude and mood on the peninsula began just a year ago. Then, US President Donald Trump, at the United Nations, berated "little rocket man". In return, and even more colourfully, Mr Kim personally described Mr Trump in his country's official media as a "mentally deranged US dotard".
Nine months later, these two were toasting each other at an extremely cordial and unprecedented meeting in Singapore. Mr Kim pledged to "denuclearise", meaning discard his nuclear arsenal along with the intercontinental missiles that could deliver them. There was no deadline given for this. Pessimists predicted that the North Korean dictator would quickly issue a list of demands for gifts, aid and political changes before he acted, just like the previous two dictators -- regime founder Kim Il-sung and his son Kim Jong-il. Optimists believed there would be hard bargaining and measured steps towards Korean disarmament.
