North Korea says Trump wrote letter to Kim hailing ‘special relations’, offered coronavirus cooperation
- State media said Kim had received a letter from Trump saying he was impressed by the North Korean leader’s efforts to defend his people from the coronavirus
Donald Trump has sent a letter to Kim Jong-un detailing a plan to develop ties, state media reported citing the North Korean leader’s powerful sister, but she warned their good personal relationship is not enough, as a hiatus in disarmament talks drags on.
The statement by Kim Yo-jong came a day after the nuclear-armed North fired what appeared to be two short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast on Saturday, the latest such action it has taken this year.
“In the letter, he (Trump)... explained his plan to propel the relations between the two countries of the DPRK and the US and expressed his intent to render cooperation in the anti-epidemic work,” an apparent reference to the coronavirus pandemic, Kim Yo Jong said in the statement carried by the North’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Sunday.
A senior administration official confirmed Trump sent a letter to Kim Jong-un, “consistent with his efforts to engage global leaders during the ongoing pandemic”.
“The President looks forward to continued communications with Chairman Kim”, the official said.
While the letter reflects “excellent” ties between the two leaders, Kim Yo-jong warned that broader relations between their two nations are different.