Kim Jong Un sent South Korean President Moon Jae-in a letter expressing condolences over the coronavirus outbreak, in the North Korean leader's first public overture to his counterpart in more than four months.
Kim sent a "message of comfort to the South Korean people who are battling against the outbreak of COVID-19," Moon's senior secretary for public communication, Yoon Do-han, told reporters during a briefing Thursday in Seoul. Kim also shared "candid thoughts and positions" regarding the two Koreas in the letter, which arrived Wednesday, Yoon said, without elaborating.
The letter was the latest indication that Kim may be ready to resume geopolitical maneuvering with Washington and Seoul, after focusing in recent weeks on his own efforts to prevent any coronavirus outbreaks in North Korea. The overture comes days after Kim oversaw the test-launch of two short-range ballistic missiles designed to evade U.S. and South Korean defenses — the first such provocation since November.