North Korea THREAT: Kim Jong-un using South Korea talks as ‘RESPITE’ amid WW3 fears

’s talks with South Korea are a “very clever” tactical decision by , warned Daniel Sneider of the Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Centre. 

Speaking to CNBC, he said: “This is all about, I think, a very clever tactical decision on the part of Kim Jong-un to open the door to these North South talks.

“The South Korean government, Moon Jae-in, has been trying since he came to power last year to open up this kind of dialogue. 

“The North Korean’s have said no and they turned around and opened the door.”

He added that North Korea was using the talks to gain “leverage” and lessen the sanctions against them, something US President has warned about. 

Sneider said: “I think partly because, correctly, the US president actually said this – They were under a lot of pressure from sanctions and they see the South as a way of maybe gaining some leverage to lessen that kind of pressure.

“But all because it make sense right now for them.

“They need a little respite and these things play really well politically in South Korea as well so from every point of view it made a lot of sense from Pyongyang.”

The rogue regime has been fanning fears with its refusal to shut down its weapons development programme.

Following a year of intense exchange between Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump – who branded the East Asian leader a “rocket man” – Pyongyang reopened communication channels with South Korea.

On Tuesday the two rival nations met for the first time since 2015 to discuss the upcoming PyeongChang Winter Olympics at the heavily fortified demilitarisation zone (DMZ).

North and South Korea agreed at their first formal talks to resolve all inter-Korean matters through dialogue and to revive military talks prevent escalating tensions.