Kim Jong-un writes to Moon asking for new peace talks

The North Korean leader acknowledges the two Koreas have escaped the danger of war and have “established ties of harmony and trust that are irreversible.". Kim regrets not being able to visit Seoul, whilst for the South Korean president, “There will be a lot of difficulties going forward. But our hearts will be opened to each other.”

Seoul (AsiaNews/Agencies) – North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sent a letter to South Korean President Moon Jae-in asking for more peace talks in the new year.

Moon yesterday welcomed North Korea's renewed commitment to the denuclearisation of the peninsula, which could give new impetus to the stalled negotiations with the United States over Pyongyang’s nuclear programme.

According to Moon, Kim has acknowledged that the two Koreas have escaped from the danger of war and “established ties of harmony and trust that are irreversible”.

The North Korean leader, Moon added, “has expressed his willingness to actively carry out agreements reached at the inter-Korean summits and the US-North Korea summit”.

“Chairman Kim said he wants to meet [with me] frequently in the new year again in order to discuss practical issues related with peace and prosperity and the issue of denuclearisation. I heartily welcome this.”

Whilst the Office of the President did not fully disclose Kim’s letter, Moon’s spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom said that Kim expressed regret that he could not make a planned visit to Seoul, South Korea’s capital, by the end of December as the two leaders had agreed at their last summit in September in Pyongyang.

In September, the Koreas agreed to a number of goodwill gestures to reduce their conventional military threat, such as removing mines and firearms from the border village of Panmunjom, destroying some front-line guard posts and creating buffer zones along their land and sea boundaries and a no-fly zone above the border.

“Kim said the leaders by meeting three times in a single year and implementing bold measures to overcome the long period of conflict lifted our nation from military tension and war fears,” Moon’s spokesman noted.

In addition, he leader expressed his willingness to “keep a close eye on the situation and expressed strong will to visit Seoul.”

Still, “There will be a lot of difficulties going forward. But our hearts will be opened to each other depending on how much effort we make,” Moon said.

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• south
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• moon jae-in
• denuclearisation
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