Pyongyang’s sudden diplomatic outreach and symbolic concessions have heightened speculation over what North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Un wants to gain from his looming summits with South Korea and the US.
Tough international sanctions and a collapse in trade with China — North Korea’s main trading partner — have curtailed the country’s economy, with experts suggesting that the reclusive and secretive regime could soon run out of hard currency.
Some analysts say that Mr Kim is willing to bargain away his country’s nuclear arsenal for security guarantees and economic aid, in an effort to develop the North Korean economy and ensure his regime’s long-term survival.