The situation in north korea is continuously changing. Recently, there was a balloon incident. It involved the entry of propaganda balloons into the North via aerial routes. This contained criticism of the regime and the North threatened to take serious action. That was the stand taken by Kim’s sister, Kim Yo-jong. She branded the South “the enemy” and cut off all communication links.
North Korea also blew up the joint liaison office with the South in the border city of Kaesong. There were suggestions for further strategic military action and the situation was volatile.
Express UK says better sense seems to have prevailed. On Wednesday, Pyongyang said leader Kim Jong-un had taken the necessary action to defuse the situation. He suspended steps that had been drawn up to bring the curtains down on the 2018 deals with South Korea. He took the decision after consultation with senior ruling party officials in charge of military affairs. It would mean a temporary suspension of the aggressive attitude against the South.
However, in the opinion of a man in the know, the dictatorship could spring a surprise at any time. It might not be with its nuclear arsenal, but could be with something else like biological weaponry. Experts caution that Pyongyang might have another ace up its sleeve.
North Korea wants to prove its relevance
Tensions between the two Koreas have been rising after the destruction of the liaison office. It used to be a meeting place for the two sides to discuss and resolve mutual issues. The North had earlier cut off all lines of communication with the South. These could be taken as indications that Pyongyang wants to pass on some message to Seoul. Incidentally, the United States is an ally of the South and it currently has 24,000 troops stationed there to extend assistance in any fight against the North.
Express UK adds that the Koreas commemorated the 70th anniversary of the start of the Korean War. In this connection, the embassy of North Korea in Russia issued a menacing statement. It was anti-US rhetoric and pertained to the deployment of nuclear weapons against the US in case of a confrontation. The threats would tend to suggest that Pyongyang was stockpiling such weapons. The hermit kingdom is aware of several options that the United States has in the event of a showdown. However, the decision taken by Kim Jong-un has put an end to such speculations.
No military action against the South says North Korea
According to The BBC, state media of North Korea has said it has put on hold its plans to go in for “military action” against its neighbor.
There was rising tension over leaflets entering the territory of the North with unwanted messages. However, leader Kim Jong-un took a decision in a meeting to suspend military action. As a result, the country responded by taking actions to show its sincerity. These were not in line with what Kim's sister, Kim Yo-jong had in mind. It was in 2018 that the two Koreas appeared to have wanted an improvement in relations. Both sides showed a willingness to rid the Korean peninsula of nuclear weapons. That feeling did not last for long because the summit between Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump failed to produce any tangible result. North Korea feels neglected because there had been talks of allowing tourism to the Kumgang Mountains, which has not materialized.
The subject appeared in a joint declaration by the two sides.
Sanctions are hurting North Korea
In June 2018, Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump had their first summit in Singapore. Later, in February 2019 they had a second summit in Hanoi but could not arrive at any decision. In March 2019, the stalemate continued in the denuclearization of North Korea. It meant America would have to revise its strategy. Subsequently, in January 2020, North Korea kept itself aloof from nuclear talks with the United States