On June 12, 2018, North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un met with American president Donald Trump at Singapore to discuss relations between the two countries. This summit was a surprise to most, especially after Trump briefly cancelled it a couple days prior.

However, the grand goal of denuclearization may be far off, as Pyongyang specified that they would only go through with it under certain conditions. Part of these include removing the nuclear umbrella over South Korea, along with taking out any U.S. troops in the peninsula. After the event, Trump stated that he and Kim Jong Un had made progress with improving the relations between the countries, but did not provide specific details.

However, many are wondering: why now? Over the last couple of years, Kim had taken progressive military action, attempting to build up to a full nuclear arsenal. Over the last couple of months, he had run multiple missile tests, indirectly threatening the possibility of a fully working nuclear system in his hands. Along with meeting with China’s president, attempting to cooperate with Donald Trump is an unexpected gesture of friendliness.

There may be several reasons for this. One of the most prominent theories is that it’s simply necessary for North Korea’s survival. Building an aggressive nuclear arsenal might have established North Korea’s relevance in world politics, but a lot of countries are also more on edge. Fostering foreign connections now would ensure that if hostilities would ever arise, North Korea wouldn’t be the one getting bullied.

On a relevant note, establishing friendly connections with superpowers such as China and U.S. would ensure that the other countries wouldn’t group up against North Korea’s growing nuclear power.

Another reason why Kim would be seeking friendly relations only as of now is the internal conditions of North Korea. It’s common knowledge that the citizens do not live in the best of conditions, but things may be worse inside than what it looks like on the outside. Foreign trade and stimulation of the economy would be desirable, maybe

<Jimmy Kang Portola HS 10th Grade>