This week, three noteworthy events transpired in and around the Korean peninsula – Kim Jong Un’s birthday, Kim’s visit to China, and President Moon Jae-in’s New Year press conference.

Connect these three dots in the constellation of U.S. negotiations with North Korea, and what picture do we get?

Let’s begin with Kim’s birthday. On 8 January, he turned 35. Of note, the regime continued with its practice since 2011 of not designating the leader’s birthday as an official public holiday.

The last time Pyongyang acknowledged Kim’s birthday was in 2014, when basketball player Dennis Rodmansang