Kim Jong Un’s invitation to South Korean President Moon Jae-in for a meeting in Pyongyang at the “earliest date possible” appears to be the latest articulation of a North Korean strategy that aims to reduce mounting pressure from the U.S. while gaining international acceptance as a nuclear weapon state.

Whether or not Moon will engage in the summit meeting remains, however, to be seen: the South Korean government has already hinted that its participation would be conditional on issues that may not be easy to overcome.

Even if such conditions are met, whether