Hopes for Korean Peninsula progress should be nourished

The "openhearted talk" between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's top leader Kim Jong-un and envoys for the Republic of Korea's President Moon Jae-in in Pyongyang on Monday marks major progress in efforts to defuse the tensions on the Korean Peninsula after more than a year of verbal exchanges between Pyongyang and Washington threatening war.

That it is the first time Kim has met any ROK officials in person since he took power in late 2011 raises the hope the rapprochement this time may not just be a repeat of the thaw-to-tension cycle that has been witnessed before.

Thus it is welcome news that Kim's call for a summit meeting to promote "dialogue, contact, cooperation and exchange" during his four-hours with the ROK envoys has been accepted by Seoul.