Kim must tread warily as iron fist has its limits

Ahead of the Singapore summit, no one can know what Pyongyang’s ‘real’ intentions are. However, we can look inside the North Korean society for clues, says Katharine HS Moon.

It’s been a rollercoaster ride for anyone following plans for a June 12 summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un. The actors were contradictory, the stage sets numerous, and the messages chaotic.

Within days of Trump’s May 24 cancellation of the Singapore meeting — and then the withdrawal of his withdrawal — South Korean president Moon Jae-in met with the US president in Washington and with the North Korean leader on the northern side of the demilitarised zone (DMZ) to help keep the summit alive.