The assurances of U.S. President Donald Trump notwithstanding, North Korea continues to threaten Japan. Still, tensions have been reduced and Japan should use the opportunity to see if momentum can be sustained and confidence-building reinforced. Thus, the decision by the Japanese government to lower Self-Defense Forces alert levels makes sense. That does not mean that North Korea is no longer a threat, however. Vigilance, along with appropriate defense planning and preparation, remains essential.
Trump's penchant for hyperbole and his indifference to detail (and often facts themselves) is sufficiently well established that his claim upon returning from the Singapore summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that "there is no longer a nuclear threat from North Korea" was roundly dismissed. Skepticism was deserved: The Singapore joint statement was striking in its lack of detail and Pyongyang has not made any gestures that indicate a change in its thinking about nuclear weapons.
There is no missing, however, the change in the atmosphere. It is not much, but it is more than has occurred in some time. It would be a mistake to not try to explore and build upon this moment. Tokyo has attempted to do just that, reaching out to Pyongyang — with little success, it seems — to commence a dialogue.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.