Inside Story

Is North Korea serious about peace?

Kim Jong-un announces the suspension of all missile tests, ahead of historic talks with South Korea and the US.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has surprised almost everyone with his latest gesture of conciliation: a nuclear pause.

After a series of missile launches that kept the world on edge last year – 23 in all – he is suspending all missile tests and shutting down a nuclear site.

The move comes ahead of two important summits with South Korea and the United States.

Both countries have been pushing North Korea to denuclearise.

But is it a real change in Pyongyang’s policy? And is change coming too fast?

Presenter: Folly Bah Thibault 

Guests:

Robert Kelly – professor of political science and diplomacy at Pusan National University

Graham Ong-Webb – research fellow at Nanyang Technological University

Mark Fitzpatrick – US state department veteran and non-proliferation specialist