Wishful thinking endangers us all

KIM Jong-un did the world a small favour by appointing an economic reformer to the country’s premiership on Apr 1, right in the middle of the Great Sabre Rattle.

We have thus been spared the naive op-ed pieces that would have ensued had Pak Pong-ju’s appointment come during a lull in tensions. Of course, Pyongyang watchers will find another reason for optimism soon enough.

They began predicting great change about five years ago, when it became known that Kim Jong-un had lived in Switzerland. Having experienced life in the West, how could he not want to Westernise his country?