Is this sunburn?

My nikitas gift persimmon has some peeling bark and I suspect it’s sunburn but I thought I’d consult more experienced folks 🙂
The odd thing I noticed today is there’s some peeling bark on the north side of the tree which has me wondering. The pictures I’ve attached are the south facing side

I don't think it's sunburn. I think it's one of two possible things. Could be a canker. Or, the cracked and split bark can happen when weather conditions are just right and there is a warm spell in the winter and sap starts to flow up through the tree, then there is a hard freeze, and bright sunny days have the sun shining on the southern and southwestern side of the tree, thawing things out, which then freezes again overnight. The split bark doesn't happen right away and generally doesn't become visible like that until later that growing season.

If it is the thawing/freezing that is happening, some orchardists paint a whitewash on the side of their fruit tree trunks to reflect the sunlight so it doesn't warm as much as the dark bark color does.

If it's a canker, giving the tree some compost tea at the roots will boost minerals along with increasing microbial and fungal soil life, helping the trees immune system fight the canker and heal. Compost teas, effective microorganisms, korean natural farming teas and the likes will all compliment a tree (and any plant) to be its healthiest. Healthy trees and plants can fight off pathogens and heal from wounds such as cankers.

Thanks James!