South Korea and North Korea could hardly be further apart right now: A new democratic president has been elected in Seoul after the peaceful ouster of his predecessor over a political scandal, while a dictator in Pyongyang has raised the ante with missile launches and yet another nuclear test.
Moon Jae-in's new government in South Korea has repeatedly said it wants to use both sanctions and dialogue to rein in Kim Jong Un's regime. Yet U.S. President Donald Trump has indicated he could take much more drastic steps, including military action or a halt on all trade with any country that does business with Kim. Earlier this year, he warned of a "major conflict" with North Korea if diplomatic solutions failed.
While the North's Kim dynasty has defied the odds for decades, at times of heightened tension the question of the future of the divided peninsula looms large. The two halves have grown far apart during more than six decades of division. Bringing them back together would pose huge challenges, but also potential benefits.