Hope for renewal of talks

Under the leadership of Kim Jung-un, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has worked out a fresh diplomatic bargain with the United States by agreeing to impose a moratorium on its nuclear and long-range missile tests and its uranium enrichment in Yongbyon in exchange for 240,000 tons of "nutritional assistance" from the US. The DPRK will also allow the IAEA inspectors to return to Yongbyon to ascertain the current status of the DPRK's nuclear program.

After the long hiatus of the Six-Party Talks and the lack of any DPRK moves to restrain its nuclear program since it conducted its last nuclear test in 2009, Pyongyang has now changed its policy and agreed to restrain its nuclear and missile development, at least for a while.

No matter whether the DPRK's moratorium is a step toward a long-term rapprochement or merely leverage to obtain short-term aid, as long as the move helps reduce tension and stabilize the region, we should support it.