Friday, April 27, 2018

The World holds her breath as history smiles upon the Korean Peninsula.

Kim Jong Un is the formidable Leader of North Korea. The young leader who stood firm in the footsteps of his father and grandfather. And now he is on the historic thresh hold of achieving the dream of the people of  North Korea and 3 generations of great Kim heirachy. May he succeed. 

Chairman Kim Jong Un is now around 33 years old and he had  come to power more than six years back. Towards end of 2017, he was characterised by America and her Allies as the very devil whom they heavily sanctioned and issued threats against.  

Come April, 2018, Kim Jong Un suddenly becomes the darling of all Powers that be.

China the ever steadfast friend of North Korea quietly and graciously had welcomed Kim Jong Un and wife to Beijing several weeks back. Today the 27th of April, 2018, the North South two Korean Leaders held their Summit on the South Korean side of Ponmunjom village. The Summit was celebrated by a State Dinner comprising of two Korean cuisine. There was genuine air of friendship and relief.  

Sometime in June, Chairman Kim Jong Un of North Korea and President of America Donald Trump will hold their historic Summit. The two were initially proposed to meet in May but now deferred to June. Perhaps other events are scheduled in- between especially for North Korean Leader.

Before that Chinese President Xi Jinping may make a visit to North Korea. There is talk of Russia inviting Chairman Kim Jong Un for a visit to Moscow. Japanese Prime Minister Abe  also wants to meet the North Korean leader but I guess Mr. Abe will have to wait his turn and possibly never if his Party calls for a change in leadership after June. Since Japan's support for Indian Army transgression at Doklam, I had longed for Abe to vacate the Prime Minister post.  

It was always China and Russia who called on America and her Allies to stop threatening North Korea and instead demonstrate meaningful friendly gestures to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula. But Japan was always calling on America to punish North Korea.  

China and Russia have always stood by North Korea. However, for world political posturing as well as for other regional relations at large, both Russia and China had joined lasyt year the latest round of UN  sanctions initiated by America and her Allies including Japan against North Korea for testing Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles.   

The numerous sanctions against North Korea are still in place. And the nation and her people have been paying a heavy price in maintaining their sovereignty. But finally the world Powers especially America and her Allies have come to realise that North Korea cannot be bullied into submission. Japan suddenly found herself politically orphaned when President Trump agreed to meet North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un as proposed by South Korean President Moon Jae-in. Japan was not consulted. I recall that President Trump was always open to a Summit with Chairman Kim from his Presidential  Campaign days in 2016.

Against all odds and despite heavy and comprehensive sanctions, North Korea under the leadership of Chairman Kim Jong Un now possess ICBMs that can strike ant part of United States if a nuclear war comes about. And that is what changed the world political scene. Finally North Korea got Super Power America to have serious respect for Chairman Kim Jong Un.

It will take time to secure lasting peace at Korean Penisula but firm steps in that direction has been taken at Ponmunjom Summit today. As we look forward,  I do not believe that American grip on South Korea will loosen anytime soon. The armed forces of America will still rule the political and security roost of South Korea.  And North Korea can never give up the nuclear capability that she has achieved through decades of struggle and hardships. However, North Korea may  never risk the first use of her ballistic missiles to threaten neighbours like South Korea and Japan. And in return America and her  Allies will have to gradually ease the economic sanctions imposed on North Korea to encourage her to behave as a responsible member of world community.

The most sure way to secure peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula would be to bring North Korea into regional development fold through promotion of trade and investment in North Korea instead of present forced isolation and economic sanctions by the world. And that could be the goal with North Korea committing to stop further development of nuclear arsenal.  

The Leader Kim Jong Un maybe young and his nation poor. But North Korea and Kim dynasty have journeyed through whatever hell America designed since the 1950s Korean war. He is a very confident and well educated leader. And in his person runs the same  blood and marrow interwined by the nerve of courage and determination that had his grandfather weld a war shattered, American bombs wasted North Korea into a nation that refused to bow to anyone. A leader who sacrificed everything for the sovereign existence of his nation. He has not even stepped out of North Korea since becoming the Leader on 17th December, 2011 until the China visit this year.  

I hope that the two self made leaders of North Korea and America will have a historic Summit and the outcome a Asia Pacific region of peace and prosperity.