It's still too early to declare that a long-expected peace is around the corner on the Korean Peninsula even though historic meetings among the leaders of key regional players happened during the last couple of months or so. And the third meet-up between the two Korean leaders, scheduled to be held in Pyongyang this Tuesday, indicates the efficiency of the two sides' communications as we see that much more time is being taken for this summit than last time. 

Obviously, both sides have got used to the pace given the practices over the year. However, the denuclearization of the peninsula is still a case of groping for the way out of the woods. 

US President Donald Trump canceled Mike Pompeo's fourth visit to Pyongyang just before this gathering between DPRK leader Kim Jong Un and his counterpart Moon Jae-in from the ROK as he once did before the Kim-Trump meet. But after a short period, the White House announced the government was discussing a potential second meet-up between the leaders of the United States and DPRK.

Although ups and downs are along the way, the exchanges among key players have been smooth, especially the two Koreas who have been having close interactions in undertaking the newly inked Panmunjom Declaration for Peace. Therefore, the chance of misunderstanding is reduced as the sides comprehend each other better during the dealings with regard to the denuclearization progress.

Taking the pace under control is currently the priority for the key players in order to usher the progress as they see fit. It's hard to have seen any dramatic scenario after the Singapore summit. Nevertheless, the stability now in the peninsula is still subtle and fragile though consensus has been reached for the denuclearization and final peace in the region. Competing for the seat behind the wheel will only hold down the improving situation since related sides have embedded into the issue for the past decades. In other words, there will no final solution if any one of the participants in the region is excluded from this issue.

Due to the massive gaps between systems and the aftermath of confrontations over the past half-century, the talks between the DPRK and the United States, and the DPRK and the ROK are full of challenges. Regarding the closing of the Punggye-ri nuclear test site, DPRK took that as a big substantial move to denuclearization while the US regarded it as a stance due to “irreversible, detectable” standards. It will be a bumpy marathon to run before realizing the ultimate goals.

We can't depend on once-for-all meetings or agreements to solve all problems we now face. On the contrary, we should put more attention on each specific step to that destination. Every participant must work on meticulous and skillful tactics as the premise to fulfill the peaceful purpose.

If domestic backlashes are encountered in the US or ROK along with a severe deterioration of regional peace, the accumulating gains could be bulldozed overnight and the issue brought back to the starting line again. And the worst part during the recession is the undermining of the mutual trust which was built up with vast courage and a once-in-a-lifetime breakthrough. Senator Lindsey Graham told journalists that pulling US troops from the ROK was a serious option for President Trump which implies that the US is still considering military action against the DPRK as one solution. Apparently, the DPRK will take that as a threat from the US and is likely to take an adversarial step accordingly.

Preparation for a possible zigzag route could, therefore, be put on the table for the Kim-Moon summit and planned Kim-Trump direct talks. The sturdy advancement to peace would lay on the practical step and the solving of each small problem apart from the top-level interactions.