By Lee Min-hyung
U.S. President Donald Trump has received what he calls a “great letter” from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and said the second Washington-Pyongyang summit will take place shortly.
“I just got a great letter from Kim Jong-un,” Trump said in a Cabinet meeting, Wednesday (local time). “They have never written letters like that. This letter is a great letter.” Trump did not specify the contents of the letter.
The remark came a day after the U.S. leader expressed his strong willingness for the second summit with Kim sometime in the near future.
“I look forward to our meeting with Kim Jong-un, and we will set that up,” Trump said. “We will be setting that up in not too distant future.”
Hopes for the much-anticipated summit have been renewed this year after Kim said he is willing to meet with Trump again “at any time” in his New Year address on Tuesday.
At the possible second summit, both leaders are expected to discuss the ongoing deadlock in talks for denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and seek a breakthrough on the agenda.
Starting last year, the young leader of the world's most reclusive regime has made rare gestures for peace on the peninsula. In June last year, Trump met with Kim in Singapore for the first historic meeting between the two countries.
For this reason, all eyes have been on the timeline for the possible second summit. But Trump underlined that he would not be in a rush to set up the ongoing denuclearization talks with the North.
“A lot of good things are happening. I never said speed,” Trump said. “We had our meetings six months ago in Singapore. We will probably now have another meeting. We have established a very good relationship.”
The Pentagon also welcomed Kim's ongoing efforts to ease military tension and seek to achieve complete denuclearization on the peninsula.
“The U.S. Department of Defense is supportive of efforts to reduce military tensions and remains in full support of our diplomats as they work to achieve the verified denuclearization of North Korea as agreed to by Kim Jong-un,” RFA quoted Pentagon spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Logan as saying Wednesday.
The Pentagon went on to say the United States Forces Korea (USFK) will continue maintaining its strong alliance with South Korea.
“The USFK will continue to support its commitment to the U.S.-South Korea alliance in the defense of the South and its people,” Logan said.
Despite no details unveiled over specific contents of the letter sent to Trump, Kim is expected to have reiterated his determination to hold the second summit as early as possible to fine-tune their differences on the denuclearization timelines.
This is not the first time Kim Jong-un has engaged in letter diplomacy. Late last month, Kim delivered his strong willingness to visit Seoul in a letter to South Korean President Moon Jae-in.
At that time, Cheong Wa Dae said Kim said it was unfortunate he could not visit Seoul last year as agreed upon during the inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang in September.
On Thursday, Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom said Kim Jong-un's letter to Trump will bring a positive effect in achieving lasting peace and complete denuclearization on the peninsula.