Our starting point this evening... is North Korea, and a gesture from its leader for the new year.
Our presidential correspondent Shin Se-min is on the line for us with the latest.
Se-min,... a letter from Kim Jong-un?


Yes-- that's the the word from the Presidential Office today.
Reporters were told by Presidential Office spokesperson Kim Eui-kyeom on this working Sunday here about the two-page letter from North Korea's Kim Jong-un this afternoon -- the first such interaction in weeks.
Have a listen.

"In the letter, Chairman Kim sent warm end-of-the-year greetings and said the leaders of the two Koreas should move forward together in the new year for peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula."

Calling for continued efforts in the region,... Kim also said the leaders have taken practical measures this year, including their three summits,... which led to the end of aggressive measures... going beyond the scope of cross-border confrontation.
And about that highly anticipated visit by Kim Jong-un to Seoul,... the leader himself wrote that he's "disappointed" that it did not happen this year,... but added that he is willing to visit Seoul soon -- while keeping an eye on things that might affect such a visit.
He added he would also like to meet with President Moon frequently in the new year and move forward discussing peace in the region,... and he made clear his intent to achieve the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
And President Moon -- responding to the letter just moments ago -- wrote on Facebook and Twitter that he welcomes Kim's call to pursue denuclearization in the region together.

This is the first exchange between the leaders in weeks.
Everyone had been speculating about whether or not Kim Jong-un would come here by the end of the year.
That was something the leaders promised would happen when they met in Pyeongyang in September.


Right-- the Presidential Office had kept its hopes up that the North Korean leader would keep the promise made back in September and come to Seoul -- even up until the president's last overseas trip earlier this month.
But with the lack of communication between the two sides in the past couple weeks -- and with the North's denuclearization talks with the U.S. seeming to lose momentum,... it seemed more and more likely that Kim Jong-un would not make it South of the border by year's end.
For one,... the South Korea's Presidential Office stayed low key about it -- simply correcting the many reports about when Kim would be coming or why his visit to Seoul had been put off.
But now with today's letter,... it seems as though that Kim might actually consider making his way to Seoul in the near future.
Devin?