Well, what a difference a few days make. One minute we are going to war, the next - much to South Korea's American allies consternation - we are striding out under one flag as an - albeit temporarily - united nation. To even the most casual observer this is a total volte-face from the position the two countries took a mere 10 days ago. One that has been a whirlwind of meetings, handshakes and Olympic togetherness, a situation that is still barely believable, considering the actions of the North over recent months - if not indeed over the past 70 years, and that are both still technically at war with one another.
Enmity over then?
Realistically, probably not. What we see happening at the moment is an act of Diplomacy, a thing that has angered the Trump administration whose only stance (apart from saying he would talk only if North Korea was interested in compromise) with the North is one of no talks, no contact, no discussion, forgetting of course, that politics is all about the slippery pole of diplomatic discussion. When sides do not talk there is absolutely no way forward for any platform that will move things forward. But suddenly when the leader's sister is at the forefront of the North's incursion into the South, a combined team hit the ice in the hockey floor and South Korean President Moon-Jae showered with signs perhaps the permafrost is cracking underfoot?
With a current medal toll under the banner of the Republic of Korea, standing at 1 Gold, the temporary athletic unification is yet to set the games on fire.
Where to now?
An amazing development occurred Saturday morning with an open invitation for the South Korean President to come to the North for talks with Kim at the earliest possible moment.
But of course, with the heating up of relations between North and South, a cooling effect is apparent between Washington and Seoul. While the US is pressing for 'maximum pressure,' to be applied to the North, the two sides are already talking - informally of course - the cooling of tensions, and a program of family visits between the two countries.
Unfortunately, Mike Pence's brief visit to the opening of the games was somewhat overshadowed by his insistence on talking politics at a purely sporting occasion. Wasting few words in making the US position perfectly clear; no nuclear disarmament, no future talks.
But, make no bones about it, inroads have been made, by a good deal of effort on BOTH sides. It is only once the games are over, that the world will see if all the bonhomie is fact or fiction!
