North Korea's Kim sent message to Trump on nuclear talks: Chosun Ilbo

By Hyonhee Shin

 

U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un walk after lunch at the Capella Hotel on Sentosa island in Singapore June 12, 2018. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/Files

 

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has sent a "conciliatory message" to U.S. President Donald Trump amid stalled nuclear negotiations, South Korea's Chosun Ilbo newspaper reported on Monday.

 

Kim's "letter-like" message to Trump was delivered on Friday through an unspecified channel, the newspaper reported, citing an unnamed diplomatic source.

 

The report did not include details about the message but said it related to U.S.-North Korea talks, and was conciliatory in tone.

 

On Sunday, the office of South Korea's President Moon Jae-in said Kim had sent a letter to his counterpart in Seoul saying he wants to hold more inter-Korean summits next year to achieve denuclearisation of the peninsula.

 

Neither the U.S. State Department nor the U.S. Embassy in Seoul had an immediate comment about the report of Kim's message to Trump when contacted by Reuters.

 

Moon's office could not confirm the Chosun Ilbo report.

 

"There is a dialogue channel between North Korea and the United States through which they exchange active communication, but I cannot know whether it took the form of letter or something else," Moon's spokesman told a news briefing on Monday.

 

At a summit with Trump in Singapore in June, Kim vowed to work towards denuclearisation.

 

However, both sides have struggled to make progress on this matter. They are also yet to reschedule a meeting between U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and senior North Korean official Kim Yong Chol after an abrupt cancellation in November.

 

Pyongyang's state media has credited Trump for his willingness to continue dialogue but has also slammed the U.S. State Department for tightening sanctions.

 

The stalled negotiations have had an impact on inter-Korean ties, with Kim failing to visit Seoul this year as agreed to at an inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang in September.

 

The Chosun Ilbo report said Kim wrote in the letter to Moon that he would come to the South "in the near future" after giving a New Year address on Tuesday.

 

Kim's New Year address provides a rare public appearance for the young leader and is closely watched by neighbouring countries as it is seen setting the tone for his domestic and foreign policies.

 

According to Moon's spokesman, Kim said in the letter to the South Korean president that he was sorry his previously planned trip to Seoul did not take place, expressing his "strong resolve" to make it happen while monitoring the situation.

 

(Reporting by Hyonhee Shin; Additional reporting by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Sam Holmes and Michael Perry)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-12-31

21 hours ago, webfact said:

Kim's "letter-like" message

Kim had sent a letter

Kim wrote in the letter

Kim said in the letter

I cannot know whether it took the form of letter or something else

 

OK, not enough evidence  

Edited January 1, 20197 yr by klauskunkel

Content of letter:

"Happy Nuclyear!"

Even with Chinese parts,   What Would Skynet Do ?

 

On 12/31/2018 at 10:24 AM, webfact said:

At a summit with Trump in Singapore in June, Kim vowed to work towards denuclearisation.

My forecast for the next summit:

Kim vows to work towards denuclearization.

While stockpiling another twenty nuclear ICBM's.

If denuclearization comes to fruition, it will be for the most part because of efforts by President Moon, not by Trump.

The two Koreas will work it out. Hopefully without US interference.

An off topic post has been removed. 

1 hour ago, Kiwiken said:

The two Koreas will work it out. Hopefully without US interference.

What exactly do you mean by the "it" that is going to get worked out?

We just have to accept the fact N Korea is a nuclear power Donald ligititmised the regime with his state level visit and got nothing.little Kim got s Korea to stop military exercises with America And acceptance in the world with Donald’s visit wow just wow what an epic fail on our part being represented by an incompetent 

14 hours ago, Srikcir said:

My forecast for the next summit:

Kim vows to work towards denuclearization.

While stockpiling another twenty nuclear ICBM's.

trump declares  mission accomplished (again), claims victory and asks trumpers  if they are tired of winning yet.