North and South Korea reopen cross-border hotline, paving the way for formal talks

[DonViejo]

Source: The Washington Post




By Simon Denyer January 3 at 5:32 AM

BEIJING — North and South Korea reopened a long-suspended cross-border hotline on Wednesday, conducting a brief conversation to pave the way for official talks between the two sides about sending a delegation from the North to next month’s Winter Olympics in the South.

Talks, if they take place, would mark the first formal dialogue between the two sides since December 2015, while the hotline has been dormant since February 2016. They could yield an easing of tensions after a year of nuclear and missile tests, hostile rhetoric and the real risk of war. But U.S. officials and experts have reacted cautiously and skeptically, doubting the sincerity of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

North Korea had earlier in the day announced the channel would be reopened. The South’s Unification Ministry then announced that officials from the North had called using the hotline at the shared border village of Panmunjom on Wednesday afternoon. Officials first tested the line and held a conversation for around 20 minutes, it said, according to news agencies.

The announcement follows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s offer on Monday to open a dialogue with South Korea over the North’s participation in the Winter Olympics, which begin Feb. 9.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/north-korea-to-reopen-border-hotline-with-south-to-prepare-for-talks/2018/01/03/00316ae6-a849-4e1c-bc70-a601f49b06e2_story.html

[yallerdawg]

1. North Korea could be testing the New World Order.

They can have relationships with South Korea, Russia, China, and Japan - and the US is sidelined and irrelevant.

Officially, the US is represented at the highest level by a bullying internet twitter troll.

If Kim wants to talk with America, he can do it through a more stable and reliable US representative - Dennis Rodman.

[notdarkyet]

6. And China is very happy we dropped out of TPP because that gives them all the benefits accrued

From this pact leaving the US in the cold. Trump is a lousy businessman and a terrible negotiator. I think the koreas have had it ,too ,with his maniacal maneuvers, inconsistency, threats and intimidation’s. Countries are starting to tell trump to butt out, he is making things worse.

[Paladin]

2. Has trump taken credit for this development yet?

It's just a matter of time, you know.

[notdarkyet]

7. Hes mad about it. Wants a war not talking.

[iluvtennis]

3. I like that they are talking. My layperson opinion. Would like to here from

The Korean expert that Lawrence ODonnell and Rachel have on their shows from time to time

[Fred Sanders]

4. Hope NK goes to the Olympics via special permission. Let Shitler try to boycott.

Remember, all we are saying is give peace a chance. And Shitler the boot.

[Javaman]

5. NK completely played the trumpster fire...

They baited him into him acting as himself; and egomaniac who is completely incapable of negotiating himself out of a wet paper bag. The world and especially the Asian nations saw how unhinged the orange asshole is and decided to take matters into their own hands, thus marginalizing the U.S.

That was the entire purpose of NK during all of this.

In the past, it has always been the U.S. that was the arbiter of what was good and bad when dealing with NK. Aka using carrot and stick.

But NK played tRump into only using the stick and as a result, the rest of the thinking world basically said to tRump, in actions but not words, "go away, we will handle this"

And NK was just fine with that.

They now get a place at the negotiating table and U.S. is now marginalized completely.

Game, set, match.

[Turbineguy]

8. This is good

One thing that emerged from Trump's trip was that the US President could not be expected to take a serious leadership role in the world.

[a kennedy]

9. I think this is a good thing as well.

at least they're talking and when that happens no bombs would be dropped eh?? Just a thought. I'm hoping this is a good thing.

[applegrove]

10. Trump's brilliant playacting as a nut has brought peace to the Korean Peninsula!!!

.... . Not!