During the on-going presidential debates in the United States, there could be a sudden surprise from the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sending a strong message to the two candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. And this October surprise could come in the form of the seventh nuclear test, a message for the US as well as to the world that Kim would not welcome any interference in the way he runs his country. Regime survival remains at the core of all what Kim has been doing since he assumed power after his father’s death. He would be unwilling to make any concession that makes him feel threatened or vulnerable.

The country has survived all these years despite multiple sanctions by the United Nations and other countries. The world might view Kim Jong-un as a ruthless narcissist and a natural-born dictator but he would be unwilling to mortgage his country’s sovereignty for any offer of a carrot. Donald Trump tried twice during his presidency but both times returned empty-handed as Kim was firm on his conditions that all sanctions must be lifted before any talk of de-nuclearisation proceeds. Should Trump make a second successful bid to the presidency, he must not expect any departure from Kim’s position.

So, the limbo shall continue and the world must learn to live with the manner Kim wants to run his country. Therefore whoever occupies the White House after Joe Biden vacates should be prepared for an October surprise from Kim Jong-un. For now, North Korea is not an election issue in the US. What has hogged the news cycle in the election season are developments in the Middle East where war is unsettling the world. Though Kim Jong-un is in no way involved in the Middle........

© The Statesman