You have a totally American POLITICAL perspective, but North Korean leadership cares not a twit about it and will not respond in a way to support it. “FACE” is much more important to them, not dollars and not even their own economy. Their public FACE got the biggest boost in the entire lifetime of the regime, from Trump, and Trump knows it. He mistakenly thought that and making it personal with Kim changed things. It didn’t, and Kim’s return to bellicose behavior is confirmation that to Kim there is nothing more to get from it’s pause.
Wuli, you have been here on this FR thing, and NK threads, for nearly 14 years now, I think about six years less than me, and I would take your advice and reality checks on FR over anyone else, who shows up and pretends to be able to offer something insightful about North Korea but which is really just a rehash of failure and defeatism.