Kim, Moon exchange letters of hope amid tensions

SEOUL－Kim Jong-un, the top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, thanked Moon Jae-in, the outgoing President of the Republic of Korea, for his efforts to improve inter-Korean relations, Pyongyang and Seoul said on Friday.

The warm words from the DPRK to Moon came in an exchange of letters less than three weeks before Moon leaves office. He will be replaced by Yoon Suk-yeol.

The DPRK's state-owned Korean Central News Agency said Kim on Wednesday received a personal letter from Moon and replied on Thursday with his own letter appreciating Moon's peace efforts during his term.

"Kim Jong-un appreciated the pains and effort taken by Moon Jaein for the great cause of the nation until the last days of his term of office," the KCNA reported.

The exchange of letters was an "expression of their deep trust", it said.

Moon sent a letter on Wednesday and promised to try to lay a foundation for unification based on joint declarations reached at summits in 2018, despite the "difficult situation", the KCNA said.

Moon's office confirmed that he had exchanged "letters of friendship" with Kim.

Moon said the "era of confrontation" should be overcome with dialogue, and inter-Korean engagement was now a task for the next administration, his spokeswoman told a briefing. Moon also expressed hope for the swift resumption of US-DPRK denuclearization talks.

Kim said in his reply on Thursday that their "historic" summits gave the people "hope for the future", and the two agreed that ties would develop if both sides "make tireless efforts with hope", the KCNA reported.

Yoon, who takes office on May 10, has harshly described Moon's foreign policy for being "subservient" toward Pyongyang and said he wouldn't pursue "talks for talks' sake". He has vowed to strengthen Seoul's defense in conjunction with its alliance with the United States.

Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, said the letters could signal to Yoon that the door for cooperation was still open and any other future action would hinge on Yoon's approach.

Kwon Young-se, Yoon's nominee to oversee cross-border affairs, said the exchange of letters was a "good thing" and Kim offered "positive" views on inter-Korean ties.

"There was some content that the new government would want to hear," he told reporters. "It was very positive that he does not negatively see trust and progress in relations."

Agencies Via Xinhua