Inter-Korean talks alone can't resolve issue

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea have restored communication and organized several joint activities before the Feb 9-25 Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, the ROK, easing the tensions on the Korean Peninsula caused by Pyongyang's nuclear and missile tests.

But will this peace last long? Seoul and Pyongyang have attached importance to the talks before and during the Winter Olympics for different reasons. Pyongyang is seeking to deflect the extreme pressure created by the sanctions imposed by the United Nations and the United States, and the latter's belligerent attitude. And it realized that improving ties with Seoul might do the job.

For the ROK, its President Moon Jae-in has been willing to improve Seoul-Pyongyang ties. But the conservatives in the ROK suspect the DPRK is taking advantage of Seoul, which makes sense, because on Jan 23 Pyongyang announced that it had changed its Army Building Day from April 25 to Feb 8, the day before the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang Winter Games. This was followed by the Pyongyang-based Korean Central News Agency saying a large-scale military parade would be held this year to mark the 70th anniversary of the DPRK's Army Building Day.