Media reports in South Korea mention about an invitation from Kim Jong-un to Donald Trump to visit the capital city of Pyongyang. It was in the form of a letter sent in August and prior to the latest launch of short-range missiles by the hermit kingdom. This was the second letter from Kim to Trump even as talks on denuclearization remain stalled. The second letter indicated Kim’s willingness to have another summit.
The Guardian reminds us that the two leaders have met thrice. The first was in June 2018 in Singapore, which was to know each other better. The second one in Hanoi in February this year was a failure. However, the two of them met for the third time at the initiative of Trump. The venue was the Demilitarized Zone DMZ between North and South Korea but there has not been much progress on the subject of denuclearization.
Donald Trump’s visit to Pyongyang could improve relations
The official agencies in the United States have not offered any comments. These agencies are the White House, the US State Department and the North Korean mission to the United Nations.
The latest round of missile launches happened soon after North Korea’s Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui revealed a willingness to go in for “comprehensive discussions” late this month. The US President also expressed his desire to meet the North Korean leader later this year.
The Guardian adds that Trump is probably keen to have another meeting with Kim. The president had crossed over to the North when he met Kim at the DMZ. If he accepts Kim’s invitation and does make the trip to Pyongyang, it could pave the road for a better relationship between the two countries and a possible nuclear-free Korean peninsula.
Fourth Trump-Kim talks on the cards
According to Fox News, the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s letter extending an invitation to President Donald Trump to visit Pyongyang is significant.
It could be the first indication that a potential fourth official visit is on the cards. There is no official confirmation from either the White House or the State Department on the subject of the visit reported in a newspaper of South Korea.
The North had always been a critic of John Bolton who was the former national security adviser. The president had also accused him of playing spoilsport in negotiations with Kim by mentioning the “Libya model” last year during discussions. President Trump said Kim wanted “nothing to do with John Bolton” and added that he felt the North Korean leader had enough reasons for being upset. The fourth meeting could break the jinx and evolve a solution for the denuclearization of the peninsula. Once Kim agrees and the United States eases sanctions, Pyongyang could concentrate on development and people on both sides of the border could heave a sigh of relief.