No, Kim Jong-un is not going to give up his nuclear weapons.

I must confess that I’m completely puzzled — even mystified — by the wild optimism surrounding the imminent summit meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and President Donald Trump. There’s talk of a Nobel Peace Prize. The word “denuclearization” hangs in the air. It’s finally happening, some people seem to believe. The combination of Trump’s bad cop and South Korea’s good cop has brought the North to the table, for real this time.

No. Stop.

Pause for one second and look at the events of the last several months from the North Korean perspective — especially from the perspective of a people steeped in the belief of their own cultural and racial superiority. And when you do, you’ll understand that nuclear weapons aren’t just central to their nation’s military strategy, they’re a key part of the North Korean national identity.