New Year ray of hope shines for Korean Peninsula peace

For ROK President Moon Jae-in, the New Year's Day message from his counterpart in the north will probably have come as something of a New Year's gift.

Although its past practices may contradict its claim to be a responsible nation, at least for now the Democratic People's Republic of Korea seems to be acting as one by extending a "welcome" olive branch to the Republic of Korea.

While it might be, as speculated, simply an attempt to sow discord between the United States and the ROK, or simply a move to buy time for his nuclear/missile programs, it may perhaps be better to consider the DPRK's offer to send a team to the coming Winter Olympics as a good-will answer to Moon's recent proposal to suspend joint military drills and view it as Seoul seems to be doing as the opening of a window of opportunity.