A much different time indeed. While North Korea is still a nuclear weapons state that may be producing five to eight bombs per year, the dynamic between Washington and Pyongyang this year is markedly more upbeat. American policy remains unchanged ?"only through the North 's total and final denuclearization will the country be able to re-enter the community of nations and become an economic participant in the East Asian architecture. But the last nine months, direct diplomacy with the Kim regime is no longer a taboo. That period has seen three meetings between Kim and South Korean president Moon Jae-in and the first summit between a North Korean leader and an American president in history. Furthermore, President Trump deserves some