I have been surprised by the negativity of the North Korea watcher community toward Moon Jae In’s Nordpolitik. He is “naïve,” “walking into traps,” and generally being outplayed by Kim Jong Un’s propaganda skills.

These assessments are related to a perception that expectations in Seoul about the benefits of North-South contact are being exaggerated, even wildly so.

The problem is that both positive expectations and risks are being overstated, while inadequate work is being put into the crucial question of what talks among the parties would actually look like.

To understand why requires a consideration of the current three-ring circus