Opinion | As North Korea doubles down on its nuclear weapons, Trump and the US are stuck with ‘strategic patience’

What happened to North Korean officials in charge of diplomacy with the US? As frequently occurs with the opaque dealings of the North’s leadership, the signals have been mixed – especially common with reports coming from Seoul’s intelligence sources via the anti-communist wing of South Korea’s media.

From what we can gather, Kim Yong-chol, vice-chairman of the central committee of the ruling Workers’ Party, survived the affair with his life and career intact despite reports of a purge.

As for special envoy to the US Kim Hyok-chol, the latest reports are that he was not executed, though he may be going through the North Korean version of career counselling in a re-education camp. This would signify North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s dissatisfaction with the results of negotiations with the US administration since the Hanoi summit breakdown – if earlier signals weren’t clear enough.

North Korea has, since the summit, tested short-range projectiles, which the pro-dialogue government in Seoul has played down and US President Donald Trump refuses to admit he worries about.

For good measure, South Korea has admitted that its efforts to improve relations with the North are hemmed in by US sanctions until Washington-Pyongyang talks improve.