Kim Jong Un's "Thank You" Letter to South Korea's Moon After Turbulent Ties
NDTV
The letters mark a closing chapter in a turbulent relation between Moon and Kim Jong Un, who held three summits in 2018 that produced an agreement to reduce military tensions on the border
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un exchanged letters with outgoing South Korean President Moon Jae-in to thank him for his efforts at rapprochement, just days before a hawkish new leader takes power in Seoul and vows to pursue a tough line with Pyongyang.
After receiving a letter from the South Korean president on Wednesday, Kim responded with a letter that expressed appreciation for "the pains and effort taken by Moon Jae-in for the great cause of the nation until the last days of his term of office," North Korea's official media reported. South Korea is expected to brief on the letters later Friday.
"The exchange of the personal letters between the top leaders of the north and the south is an expression of their deep trust," the state's Korean Central News Agency reported Friday, adding Moon expressed his desires to Kim to work on improving inter-Korean ties even after his retirement.
The letters mark a closing chapter in a turbulent relation between Moon and Kim, who held three summits in 2018 that produced an agreement to reduce military tensions on the border and paved the way for historic talks between Kim and then U.S. President Donald Trump. After the discussions with Trump faltered, North Korea branded Moon a meddlesome mediator, ignored his calls for talks and blew up a $15 million liaison office north of the border that was one of the South Korean leader's biggest achievements.
