Inter-Korean cooperation after the Panmunjom Declaration.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met South Korean President Moon Jae-in on April 27, for the first inter-Korean summit in eleven years and the third ever. In the twelve weeks since, the Panmunjom Declaration they signed has transformed North-South relations, largely frozen for the previous decade. People from the two Koreas now meet or visit almost daily, advancing a diverse agenda: family reunions, tension reduction, joint sports teams, transport links, economic cooperation and more. The two leaders met again on May 26, and Moon is to visit Pyongyang later this year.
Economic cooperation will not get far unless some sanctions are lifted or exemptions made.
Inter-Korean detente suits China, though Beijing sees Seoul as a rival for influence in Pyongyang; Kim will play them off.
Russia will benefit if trans-Korean transport links are renewed or a gas pipeline is built.
Tokyo is a spectator; joint Japan-bashing is something that can bring the two Koreas closer.
In time, Kim will seek normalisation with Japan, too, for the huge economic aid this could bring.
