Ask the Lord to give wisdom to all parties involved in deliberations for a peaceful resolution to this very volatile ongoing situation.

“Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.” Heb 12:14

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“South Korea proposed holding talks on Jan. 9 with North Korea to discuss participation in the Winter Olympics next month, a move that may ease tensions over the country’s nuclear program.

South Korea is suggesting that high-ranking officials from both sides meet at the border village of Panmunjom, Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon told reporters in Seoul on Tuesday. It would be the first formal meeting between the two Koreas since 2015.

‘We expect to sit down with North Korea face to face and frankly discuss mutual interests aimed at better inter-Korean relations,’ Cho said, reaffirming the government’s willingness to talk to Kim’s regime without conditions. ‘We look forward to Pyongyang’s positive reaction to this.’…

Many obstacles remain toward a deal that could prompt North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons, which Kim on Monday said were essential to deter a U.S. invasion. Past efforts at dialogue have failed in the past, and the U.S. has said it will never accept North Korea as a nuclear power….

‘The detente could last throughout this year, but it’s too hasty to expect too much from this meeting,’ Lee said. ‘If the South believes that having eye contact with North Korean officials at the Olympics would lead to a shift of the situation, that would be only wishful thinking.’

China, North Korea’s largest trading partner, welcomed the push for talks and called on both Koreas to take the opportunity to improve ties. China has long called for negotiations to reduce tensions.

‘It is a good thing,’ Geng Shuang, a spokesman for China’s foreign ministry, told reporters in Beijing on Tuesday….

‘Improving inter-Korean relations and resolving the North Korean nuclear issue are not separate from each other,’ Moon said. Any talks must be closely coordinated with South Korea’s allies and the international community, he added. (Excerpted from Bloomberg Politics , reporting by Kanga Kong with assistance by Peter Martin.)