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North Korea's diplomatic stance has shifted in recent months. At the UN General Assembly in September, Pyeongyang's foreign minister met with the top diplomats from the four regional powers while requesting a visit by the Vatican's Pope Francis. These changes were foreshadowed earlier this year with the thawing of inter-Korean ties. North Korea has stepped up efforts to improve cross-border relations, a surprising development given its string of military provocations which had continued up until 2017. North Korea's diplomatic shift has also brought about notable changes in its relations with the United States. Chairman Kim Jong-un and President Trump, who had previously engaged in a heated exchange of verbal threats, have now been seen engaging in friendly support, with Trump receiving a total of five personal letters from his North Korean counterpart this alone. North Korea has also been reinforcing its traditional ties with its old allies China and Russia, with a summit meeting reportedly in the works. In this week's edition of "Foreign Correspondents", we sit down with our panel of journalists to discuss North Korea's changing diplomatic stance, the contributing factors that may have induced its behavioral changes, and what might be in store further down the road.

Panelists
Thomas Maresca, Journalist / USA Today
Frédéric Ojardias, Journalist / Radio France Internationale
Oliver Colin Hotham, Journalist / NK News