The Korean peninsula is as divided as ever
But rumours of war are overblown
Kim Jong Un, North Korea’s dictator, ended 2023 with war on his mind. Speaking to assembled party grandees on December 30th, he declared that the North and the South were now “two belligerents in the midst of war”. In early January he claimed to have no intention of starting a real conflict, but would have “no hesitation in annihilating” South Korea if it did.
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This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline “War talk”
From the January 20th 2024 edition
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