트럼프 김정은에 친서 보내, 비핵화 돌파구 됐던 친서 외교 재가동?
Another round of letters has been exchanged between the leaders of North Korea and the U.S.
The duo have been doing so since last year.
With the denuclearization talks having been stalled for some 4 months now, all eyes are on whether these gestures can bring back them back to the dialogue table.
Lee Ji-won has the full story.
The White House confirmed on Sunday... the report in North Korea's state-run media about President Trump's letter to Kim Jong-un.
That's prompted talk of the two sides resuming their meetings, including from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
"I'm hopeful that this will provide a good foundation for us to begin to continue these important discussions with the North Koreans to denuclearize the peninsula."
On whether working-level discussions would begin soon,... Pompeo told reporters Sunday that reports coming out of the North suggest there's a good possibility and that the U.S. is ready to go if the North Koreans give the go-ahead.
In fact, exchanging letters has been a key way in which Kim Jong-un and President Trump have reconfirmed their trust in each other and their willingess to talk, despite the circumstances.
It has also added some momentum to the situation.
The first personal letter between the two leaders, known to the public at least, was just days before their historic first summit in Singapore last June.
In late May, President Trump had canceled the event, pointing to what he called the "tremendous anger and open hostility" displayed in North Korea's statement lashing out at Vice President Mike Pence for saying the North could end up like Libya if a deal is not reached.
And in an effort to get dialogue back on track, the North's top nuclear negotiator at the time, Kim Yong-chol, flew over to the U.S. to hand-deliver Kim Jong-un's "giant" letter to Trump.
Kim Jong-un sent Trump letters in the months to come too, which White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said "addressed their commitment to work toward North Korea's complete denuclearization."
And amid slow progress on their negotiation, Kim's letter in September is seen to have helped pave the way to the second summit.
The letters ceased after the Hanoi summit ended abruptly in February,... but the recent interactions sure seem to be sparking hope in many.
But it remains to be seen whether these exchanges will give another push to the North Korea-U.S. talks.
Lee Ji-won Arirang News.