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By Kim Bo-eun
Denuclearization talks between North Korea and the U.S. that appeared to have been stalled may gain impetus, with leaders of the countries engaging in communication.
U.S. President Donald Trump thanked North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Thursday, after receiving a "nice letter" from him. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the correspondence was "aimed at following up on the meeting in Singapore" and "advancing the commitments made" in the leaders' joint statement, where North Korea pledged complete denuclearization.
The North Korean leader's letter arrived as 55 sets of remains of U.S. soldiers handed over by North Korea arrived at the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii.
This is not the first correspondence. Before the historic June 12 summit in Singapore, the North Korean leader sent his first letter to Trump, in a large white envelope. The U.S. president received a second letter after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Pyongyang for follow-up denuclearization talks.
The letters are seen as a sign that trust between the leaders has not collapsed.
"It goes to show trust between the leaders, and trust is needed for the next steps to be taken in denuclearization and in improving relations," a foreign ministry official said.
Dongguk University professor Ko Yoo-hwan said "It appears to show that the trust between Kim and Trump is still there, and that the momentum for dialogue is ongoing."
"The exchanges are a top-down way of showing this amid growing skepticism within the U.S. over North Korea's denuclearization, and the communication is expected to exert a positive influence on the overall progression of talks on this," he said.
Trump's expression of his hopes to see the North Korean leader soon in a twitter post raised expectations that a second summit could be held in coming months.
The White House said no second meeting has been planned.
Experts said it is unlikely that a second summit will take place soon.
"A summit will not be held without progress in denuclearization talks," Ko said.
Professor Park Won-gon of Handong University agreed.
"The U.S. President was criticized for failing to elicit specific pledges from North Korean on its denuclearization. Considering the midterm elections are coming up in November, Trump would not meet with Kim without progress in the denuclearization negotiations," he said.
"For progress, North Korea needs to report a list of its nuclear facilities or present a timeline for its denuclearization."
Meanwhile, the professor emphasized South Korea's role in enabling progress.
"It seems the South Korean government is seeking to hold President Moon Jae-in's third summit with the North Korean leader this month. South Korea must play an active role in seeking a breakthrough in denuclearization talks," Park said.
North Korea has been calling for the 1950-53 Korean War to be ended as an early stage measure in the denuclearization process, to protect the security of its regime. Expectations had grown that foreign ministers of the Koreas, the U.S. and China could meet on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum in Singapore this week, to discuss the matter.
However, the U.S. affirmed its stance that North Korea needs to take concrete denuclearization steps before an end to the war can be declared.
In a press round table held Thursday, U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris said North Korea providing a list of its nuclear facilities would be a starting point for negotiations on ending the war.
Pyongyang began dismantling facilities at its Tongchang-ri missile testing site in recent weeks, but the measure has yet to be verified.
Harris also stated North Korea's repatriation of U.S. war remains was a humanitarian issue separate from denuclearization measures.
