News of North Korea testing a ballistic missile first came up in February 2017.
After close to a year of heated exchanges and the fear of an imminent nuclear war, United States President Donald Trump and North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un have decided to meet in May.
The announcement was made by South Korea’s national security adviser Chung Eui-yong at the White House. Kim has also committed towards denuclearisation and that he looks to suspend North Korea's nuclear programme.
News of North Korea testing a ballistic missile first came up in February 2017, having done so just three weeks into Donald Trump’s presidency signaling the beginning of the controversial back and forth that was at the front of international news for most part of 2017.
The month of April 2017 was particularly eventful as North Korea tested many separate missiles, grabbing the world’s attention as a volatile country with nuclear capabilities.
In August 2017, Trump told the press that North Korea is to “be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen," if the US continues to be threatened. North Korea stated that it is also considering firing missiles at Guam.
The talks reached a crescendo in September 2017 when Donald Trump gives Kim a new nickname called "Rocket Man". Kim replied: “I will surely and definitely tame the mentally deranged US dotard with fire.”
Trump also made a speech at the United Nations General Assembly, saying "The US has great strength and patience but if it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea."
In November 2017, the worldwide anxiety of nuclear war reached its zenith when North Korea announced a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), saying it can reach the U.S. mainland.
The month of January 2018 started with Trump saying is "closer...to a nuclear war with North Korea and in that region than we have ever been — I don't see the opportunities to solve this diplomatically at this particular point."
However,things seem to cool in January when Kim Jong Un agreed to a meet between North and South Korea for the first time in years. He also spoke ofsaid that he was open to dialogue with South Korea and will only use nuclear weapons if threatened
At the time of the Winter Olympics, both North and South Korea displayed a public show of unity by fielding a joint women's hockey team, despite other such talks crumbling.
A notable fallout was when a meeting between the United States Vice President Mike Pence and Kim's sister, Kim Yo-jong, is cancelled two hours before it was to take place.
President Trump in March made a sudden call to diplomacy leading up to the latest news announcement of the meet.
The United States had also issued a trade embargo on North Korea in retaliation to the escalating tensions. At the time of announcement of its future talks, the United States said that the trade embargo is set to continue.
