NATIONAL SECURITY/NORTH KOREA/NUCLEAR/SOUTH KOREA: “President Moon Jae-in of South Korea warned on Wednesday [1-9-18] that North Korea would face stiffer sanctions if it resumed weapons tests, while crediting President Trump with helping force the North to resume dialogue and strike a broader agreement to improve Korean ties…
His comment reflected a tactful maneuver for Mr. Moon: stroking the ego of the American leader, who has claimed credit for the inter-Korean dialogue, while easing fears in Washington and among his conservative critics at home that in his eagerness for dialogue, he may be too accommodating to North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un…
And he said South Korea and its allies must seize on the North’s renewed appetite for negotiations to persuade it to join broader talks involving the United States over how to end its rapidly advancing nuclear weapons program — an approach the North’s chief delegate to the border talks angrily rejected on Tuesday.
Otherwise, North Korea made a surprisingly conciliatory gesture during the talks, promising to send a delegation of athletes, cheerleaders and journalists to the Winter Olympics being held next month in the South Korean town of Pyeongchang. The North also agreed to more talks with the South, including a dialogue between their militaries, to ease tensions and improve ties.”
-Choe Sang-Hun, “South Korea’s Leader Credits Trump for North Korea Talks,” The New York Times online, Jan. 10, 2018