Kim, this might be appalling but

[DonCoquixote]

First off, I despise Kim, and for me, the true test of someone who is too far too the left was if someone started telling me "kim is actually a great leader who has been maligned, and he should unite Korea!" Sorry, the Kim monarchy (and let us call it what it is) has spent a half century reducing a great nation to starvation, while threatening to destroy South Korea and us. They have even proved to be a tumor in China's body, as China realize that it's ugly cousin could rip a buzzsaw through all those elaborate silk roads it wants to lay for it's new Imperial grandeur.

That...Being...said..

If it was down to Trump vs Kim, Kim deserves the Nobel. Kim had to walk away from a war footing, which is backed by his own family, a group of people that make Game of Thrones look like a small town second tier Mafia family. He knows he could get killed for this, as rivals will seize the chance. There is also the fact the China, aka it's Imperial parent, is eager to cut off the funding, and will do whatever it needs to do to achieve it's aims. Let me be blunt, expect Beijing to try to have the Kims removed and a new, stable puppet if he signs this, so they can make sure no other Kims threaten the peace.

[gratuitous]

1. Don't overlook South Korea's president

Trump is a clueless buffoon. Kim is a puppet, but doesn't seem entirely lacking in smarts. The "dismantling" of NK's nuclear program is more a function of its having been burned to the ground than any peaceful impulses on Kim's part. South Korea's president has spotted the opening the situation has given him and taken very good advantage of it.

[unblock]

2. exactly. north korea does not deserve much praise for failing at war despite best efforts.

if it turns out that someone somehow cleverly engineered the collapse of their nuclear test site, then *that* person deserves the nobel peace prize.

but as long as it's an accident, the best candidate for the nobel here is sheer dumb luck.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. Kim is playing Trump.

He's as untrustworthy as Trump but smarter. He'll do what NK has done in the past, which is break its promises. There's no way NK is going to get rid of their existing nukes, which Kim needs to project strength and legitimacy, both internally and internationally. He might agree to stop testing but that's a hollow promise, since apparently their testing area just caved in and is unusable. Once they restore that or find a new one they'll start testing again. The best deal Spanky can hope for is one like the Iran deal he just pulled out of. And in light of that, why would Kim trust him with any deal at all?

[demmiblue]

4. This is... something. n/t

[shanny]

5. Kim walked away from a war footing?

I beg to differ.

He is shuttering his test site, mostly likely because a) he doesn't need it anymore. He has his nukes and everybody knows it; and b) it has partially collapsed already and is too dangerous to re-use anyway. He looks magnanimous and reasonable.

And he never wanted war anyway. He's not crazy and he's not stupid enough to think he would win; he just wanted recognition and legitimacy...which he now has. The preznit of the United States is going to meet with him! This gives him stature and weakens whatever political rivals still survive.

So much winning!...for Kim. So far he has gotten everything he desired, at no cost. And I am sure that under no circumstances will he surrender his weapons: his ultimate plan is the re-unification of Korea under his rule. Having a nuclear arsenal while facing a feckless US led by a twit is an opportunity not to be missed.