By Donna Westfall -April 19, 2018 –

Remember that chubby guy with the funny haircut? His name is Kim Jong-Un and he has been amassing nuclear weapons.  He’s also been the dictator of North Korea since 2011 having inherited the role of supreme leader from his dictator father, Kim Jong-il.

Then there’s Moon Jae In , the leader of South Korea. He’s been in power only since 2017 – shortly after the previous president, Park Geun-hye was impeached. She was found guilty on multiple counts of abuse of power, bribery and coercion and sentenced to 24 years in prison.

Now, nobody pushs Kim Jong-Un around.  If you get in his way, as did his uncle, you’ll be executed. His half-brother, Kim Jong Nam was assassinated by VX nerve gas.  It wasn’t a complete surprise since an antidote was found on his body. He was expecting it.  Living in exile, his murder took place on his way back to No. Korea in 2016. Two women are on trial for his murder.

But, aside from that, the two leaders from North and South Korea did agree on attending the 2018 Winter Olympic games together as a unified Korea in Pyeongchang. Here’s where we have to ask, did Hell freeze over?

What is going on? With nearly 25,000 American soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines in South Korea at the DMZ, will they be coming home? Our troops have been there since July 1, 1957. It would be nice to have them back.

Here’s what appears to be happening.  President Trump leveled really harsh economic sanctions on No. Korea in 2017, and even harsher sanctions in 2018 in order to get them to stop their nuclear armament program. Sanctions that included having other countries on board as well.  Despite the numerous missile failures, No. Korea finally got it right and claim they can make a strike anywhere in the world including anywhere in the USA.

And, they don’t have to wait for the chubby guy with the bad haircut to give the order.  Any number of high ranking officials can press that button.  Of course, if they do, the US has promised to pulverize them in short order.

But, back to peace and unification. What’s on the itinerary is Pres. Trump has accepted Kim Jong-Un’s invitation to meet.  5 locations are being discussed. Everything from a meeting at sea or on an Island; Geneva, Switzerland or Stockhom, Sweden;  or other capitals in Malaysia or North or South Korea.

Talks are being tentatively planned for late May or early June of this year. Pres. Trump has already said if the talks are not fruitful he would have no hesitation in leaving.

Where does that leave the North and South?  Kim Jong-Un and Moon Jai In can certainly meet. It was the presence of Kim Yo Jong, Kim Jong-Un’s sister at the Olympics that appeared to break the ice. It looked like she was an emissary there to deliver a message.

The problem with dictators is this; how often can you trust them? Answer:  rarely. Even if Supreme Leader Kim Jong-Un agrees to disarm, and trade and economic sanctions are lifted, verification is and always has been the problem with countries and dictators like this.

This is certainly an interesting time in history and hopefully our President will stick to his guns.