BEIJING — South Korea is desperately trying to manage the diplomatic crisis between President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un in order to avert threatened American military action against North Korea. Trump's announcement Thursday that he was calling off the Singapore summit was followed by a flurry of reversed decisions and policy re-statements, rhetorical declarations both hostile and conciliatory, shuttle diplomacy by minor officials around the globe, high-profile meetings and low-key discussions. We have put a great team together for our talks with North Korea. Meetings are currently taking place concerning Summit, and more. Kim Young Chol, the Vice Chairman of North Korea, heading now to New York. Solid response to my letter, thank you! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 29, 2018 The leadership in Seoul has been working around-the-clock to keep peace talks on track. On Saturday, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Kim Jong Un held a “surprise summit” reportedly requested by Pyongyang in the wake of Trump’s letter, aimed at demonstrating that the peace process was still on track and that denuclearization talks could continue to move forward. The neighboring Koreas technically remain at war after fighting ended with an armistice instead of a peace treaty in 1953. Moon and his allies are intent on acting as mediators between Pyongyang and Washington, expressing confidence that a meeting between Trump and Kim will happen soon. “I am 99 percent certain the summit will take place,” said Kim Hong-gul, a political ally of Moon’s and the son of former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung, who initiated his country’s first rapprochement with North Korea in 2000. Kim Hong-gul is one of the few South Korean politicians who had met Kim Jong Un prior to last month's Panmunjom summit, and has direct lines of communication with key North Korean leaders. “I get the feeling that for Kim and Trump, neither side is willing to break the deal. Neither has the guts to do it," Kim Hong-gul told NBC News. "They were just bluffing, very gently compared with the past, to save face because of domestic and international attention and pressure.” In Trump's case, this "bluffing" involves apocalyptic language which, in the context of a potential nuclear conflict, is alarming. "You talk about your nuclear capabilities, but ours are so massive and powerful that I pray to God they will never have to be used," Trump wrote to Kim Jong Un in his letter announcing he was canceling the summit. Sadly, I was forced to cancel the Summit Meeting in Singapore with Kim Jong Un. pic.twitter.com/rLwXxBxFKx — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 24, 2018 And should the meeting originally scheduled for June 12 in Singapore end without an agreement, or without a commitment to continue talking, plans for a “limited military strike” may again take front-and-center in U.S. policy toward North Korea. Although White House administration officials have said they are confident they can carefully calibrate such a strike to ensure it would not spiral into a wider conflict, such an outcome would be far from certain. “It is far more likely that a U.S. attack on North Korea, no matter how limited, would result in the dissolution of the 1953 armistice and a resumption of war between North Korea and the US-ROK alliance,” retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Jan-Marc Jouas, a former deputy commander of U.S. Forces Korea, wrote in a letter to Congress in November. “An attack by the U.S. on North Korea’s strategic nuclear capabilities, which they deem essential to the regime’s survival, would most likely be viewed as an existential threat and generate a corresponding response.” The more than 25 million South Koreans who live in and around Seoul would be put at immediate risk, as would the more than 28,000 American service members based on the Korean Peninsula. “Unfortunately, North Korean artillery, rockets, and missiles that threaten the capital will take days to eliminate, even under ideal conditions," Jouas added. "During that time an enormous casualty and evacuee crisis will develop." Jouas predicted that during those crucial days, the U.S. would be faced with having to try to evacuate "over 100,000 noncombatant Americans” alone, without even considering the tens of thousands of combatants and South Korean civilians who would likely die. Many Korea watchers outside of Seoul remain unconvinced that the summit is well and truly off. Every party involved has a reason to come to the bargaining table, they say. “It’s in North Korea’s interest to pursue talks with President Trump — there’s the prestige factor, plus the economic benefits and even legitimacy as a member of the international community,” said Soo Kim, a former CIA intelligence analyst who specializes in North Korea. Soo Kim highlighted that Moon has made North Korea "a legacy priority" for his administration and that Trump holding successful talks with North Korea would be "an achievement no U.S. president has ever attained." North Korean leader Kim Jong Un abd South Korean President Moon Jae-in met on Saturday. KCNA via KNS / AFP - Getty Images As officials like National Security Adviser John Bolton and Trump publicly contemplate a military strike, there are downsides to being stuck in the middle between Pyongyang and Washington. Moon’s role as a mediator “carries the risk of being seen as Seoul putting itself halfway between the common enemy” who is threatening both the U.S. and South Korea, with the United States “having put its sons and daughters in harm’s way to protect it," according to Bruce Klingner, a senior research fellow for Northeast Asia at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. North Korea has said in public statements that it wants an official end to the Korean War. It also wants nothing short of full normalization of relations with the U.S. and to be treated with respect and as an equal in the global arena. Adam Mount, a senior fellow at the Federation of American Scientists who specializes in nuclear strategy and North Korea, said that for Moon the peace process "stands between his country and a devastating war that could kill hundreds of thousands."<doc-sep>The South Korean reaction is also notable for what it leaves out. South Korea has been cautious not to set clear expectations for the planned June 12 summit in Singapore between Trump and Kim. There are too many potential pitfalls, chiefly how far the North is willing to make concessions over its nuclear program in exchange for a possible easing of economic sanctions and other incentives from the United States and its allies, such as South Korea.<doc-sep>SEOUL—South Korean officials are playing down the likelihood of an imminent peace declaration after President Donald Trump suggested that he could declare an end to the Korean War at next week’s U.S.-North Korea summit. South Korean representatives declined to comment officially on Monday, saying only that they were monitoring summit preparations. But behind the scenes some officials signaled caution about the prospect of a peace declaration and about what some here have called heated optimism over the possibility for such a declaration at the Singapore meeting. The leaders of North and South Korea agreed in April to pursue a treaty this year to end the Korean War—a binding agreement that would go a notch beyond a more-symbolic peace declaration, which they also agreed in April to pursue. An armistice, rather than a treaty, ended the 1950-1953 conflict and was signed by China, North Korea and the United Nations, which was led by the U.S. at the time. South Korea’s then president, Syngman Rhee, refused to sign it, as the armistice left the peninsula divided. Those signatories would need to approve a peace treaty. A series of twists ahead of a possible June 12 summit between President Donald Trump and North Korea's Kim Jong Un suggest that, despite showcased optimism, the two leaders are struggling to find common ground on key issues such as denuclearization. A peace declaration has been a policy goal for Seoul’s liberal Moon Jae-in administration, which considers it a gateway to more concrete agreements with North Korea, including a formal treaty or a denuclearization deal. But Seoul officials’ caution appears due in part to the little time remaining before the June 12 Singapore meeting and expectations that a declaration would be largely symbolic. The absence of China from the Singapore summit could be another reason for caution, analysts said. Though a peace treaty would require China’s signature, a peace declaration could be possible without Beijing, as the country isn’t at war with either of the Koreas or the U.S., said Seoul’s former unification minister, Chung Dong-young, now a lawmaker. For its part, the Chinese Foreign Ministry sounded upbeat Monday about the recent rounds of detente involving North Korea and said the summit with the U.S. presents an opportunity for a breakthrough. “The situation on the Korean Peninsula is facing a rare historic opportunity. Whether we can find the path to denuclearization and a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula, the summit holds the key,” ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a regular briefing. Avoiding the political embarrassment of another abrupt U.S. withdrawal from the planned summit could also underlie Seoul’s caution, said Kim Meen-geon, a professor of political science at Kyung Hee University in Seoul. In an editorial last week, North Korean state media appeared to urge the adoption of a peace deal as agreed to at the April inter-Korean summit, saying that North and South should “neither read others’ faces nor seek their egotistic interests” but “carry out” agreements signed by Messrs. Moon and Kim. The Moon administration in the past has floated the idea of a peace declaration and had agreed with Pyongyang in April to pursue trilateral talks involving Washington, and, possibly, quadrilateral talks involving Beijing, with the aim of writing the declaration. A meeting between President Trump and North Korean Gen. Kim Yong Chol at the White House last week had renewed hope for a trilateral summit and even the possibility of peace declaration. —Charles Hutzler in Beijing contributed to this article. Write to Andrew Jeong at andrew.jeong@wsj.com<doc-sep>North and South Korea have resumed peace talks as Donald Trump awaits a "personal letter" from Kim Jong Un amid a US-led push to persuade Pyongyang to end its nuclear programme. The meeting at the demilitarised border village of Panmunjom - which was initially called off in response to a joint US-South Korea air force drill - follows talks in New York between US secretary of state Mike Pompeo and North Korean vice chairman Kim Yong Chol. American diplomats are also meeting with North Koreans in the demilitarised zone as well as in Singapore in a bid to secure the 12 June summit between Mr Trump and Mr Kim. South Korea plans to use Friday's talks to address tensions across their heavily armed border as well as reuniting families separated during the Korean War, which took place between 1950 and 1953. Image: North Korea's Kim Yong Chol with US secretary of state Mike Pompeo Seoul's unification minister Cho Myoung-gyon told reporters before the meeting: "We will hold discussions with the North so that we can implement the agreements between the two leaders with pace and without hitches and also create a positive atmosphere for the leaders' summit between North Korea and the United States." Advertisement Mr Pompeo has since told a news conference he was confident talks with North Korean officials were moving in the right direction and that it would be "tragic to let this opportunity go to waste". He said Kim Yong Chol, one of the North Korean leader's closest aides and the highest-ranking North Korean official to visit the US in 18 years, was travelling to Washington to deliver a "personal letter" from Kim Jong Un to President Trump. Mr Trump responded by saying: "I look forward to seeing what's in the letter." Good progress today during our meetings with Kim Yong Chol and his team. #NorthKorea and the world would benefit greatly from the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. pic.twitter.com/QfeALSsxGA — Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) May 31, 2018 Following the meeting with Kim Yong Chol, Mr Pompeo said: "Our two countries face a pivotal moment in our relationship in which it could be nothing short of tragic to let this opportunity go to waste." The US secretary of state warned North Korea had to choose a path "fundamentally different" to the one they had been on for decades. Mr Pompeo said the secretive state was "contemplating a strategic shift" - and that talks to prepare a meeting about denuclearisation were going well. Mr Trump said this morning: "Will see what happens... hopefully we will have a meeting on the 12th". Very good meetings with North Korea. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 31, 2018 The recent developments follow a historic meeting between Mr Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in in April, when the pair agreed to a "complete denuclearisation" of their peninsula. However, relations worsened when Pyongyang cancelled an inter-Korean meeting and threatened to walk away from its scheduled summit with President Trump following the South's joint military exercises with the US. The American leader later cancelled the 12 June summit before backtracking shortly before the North and South Korean leaders met again for a second time and agreed to resume talks between the two countries. Previously, Washington has demanded that the North agree to a "complete, verifiable and irreversible" end to Pyongyang's nuclear program while Kim Jong Un continues to seek international recognition and security guarantees.<doc-sep>
Everything we know about Kim Jong Un's sister (2018) PYEONGCHANG-GUN, SOUTH KOREA - FEBRUARY 09: (EDITORS NOTE: Alternate crop of #916122914) Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, arrives at the opening ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at PyeongChang Olympic Stadium on February 9, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. (Photo by Patrick Semansky - Pool /Getty Images) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, left, listens to South Korean President Moon Jae-in while walking together at the Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone Friday, April 27, 2018. Kim made history Friday by crossing over the world's most heavily armed border to greet his rival, Moon, for talks on North Korea's nuclear weapons. (Korea Summit Press Pool via AP) Kim Jong Un on S. Korea: We are the same people President Moon: There will be no more war TOPSHOT - South Korea's President Moon Jae-in (R) shakes hands with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un (L) during the Inter-Korean summit in the Peace House building on the southern side of the truce village of Panmunjom on April 27, 2018. - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and the South's President Moon Jae-in sat down to a historic summit on April 27 after shaking hands over the Military Demarcation Line that divides their countries in a gesture laden with symbolism. (Photo by Korea Summit Press Pool / Korea Summit Press Pool / AFP) (Photo credit should read KOREA SUMMIT PRESS POOL/AFP/Getty Images) (CNN) — The leaders of North and South Korea held a surprise meeting Saturday, their second in a month, two days after President Donald Trump abruptly canceled a summit meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in met for two hours at the Demilitarized Zone, the South Korean presidency said in a statement. Full coverage: North Korea South Korea Presidential Blue House/Yonhap via AP Kim Jong Un, left, and Moon Jae-in embrace after Saturday's meeting at the DMZ. The two “exchanged their opinions” on among other things successfully carrying out a future US-North Korea summit, according to the statement. On Thursday, Trump called off a June 12 summit with Kim in Singapore but then told reporters Friday he’s still open to a conference. Moon will announce the result of his meeting with Kim on Sunday morning local time, the South Korean statement said. In a tweet Friday, Trump maintained “very productive talks” were continuing on the North Korean summit. “We are having very productive talks with North Korea about reinstating the Summit which, if it does happen, will likely remain in Singapore on the same date, June 12th., and, if necessary, will be extended beyond that date,” Trump wrote. Moon, who has been a mediator between Trump and Kim, called an emergency meeting in the middle of the night after Trump called off the June summit in a letter to Kim. In canceling the meeting, Trump cited hostile comments from top North Korean officials as well as concern about the country’s commitment to giving up its nuclear weapons. South Korea Presidential Blue House/Yonhap via AP The North and South Korean leaders greet each other before Saturday's meeting. US officials said the final straw came when a North Korean Foreign Ministry official called Vice President Mike Pence a “political dummy” and hinted that Pyongyang was ready for a “nuclear showdown” should diplomacy fail. But a North Korean Foreign Ministry official said Friday that Kim was still willing to meet with Trump “at any time.” Previous meeting Saturday’s meeting at the DMZ followed a daylong summit last month in which Moon and Kim embraced, planted a tree and talked alone for more than 30 minutes. In April, the leaders also signed a declaration that commits the two countries to denuclearization and talks to bring a formal end to the 65-year-old conflict. It was the first time leaders from the two countries had met in 10 years. In separate speeches last month, Kim and Moon promised a new era. Addressing the world’s media live on television for the first time, Kim said the Koreas “will be reunited as one country.” Moon said: “There will not be any more war on the Korean Peninsula.” A final peace deal for the two Koreas must also involve China and the United States, both of whom were participants in the original conflict that began in 1950 when the North invaded the South.