North and South Korea are reportedly in talks to hold a potential summit between the two countries.
Reuters reported on Wednesday that South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have been sending each other letters since last April that discuss strategies to enhance their nations’ strained ties. The news service cited three unidentified South Korean government sources with knowledge of the matter in its reporting.
The two sides reportedly decided to revive hotlines as a first step to improving relations.
The countries are also looking at possibly setting up a summit between the two leaders, Reuters noted, adding that no time frame or other information has been discussed because of the ongoing global threat of the COVID-19 pandemic.
North Korea has not reported any confirmed cases of the coronavirus, but it did impose strict mitigation measures and shut its borders in response to the pandemic, the news service reported.
The Koreas have also reportedly talked about reconstructing their joint liaison office at the truce village in Panmunjom on the border, two sources told Reuters, after the North demolished an office that was located in the border town of Kaesong in 2020.
Moon’s office referred Reuters to a briefing earlier this week from the president’s press secretary, Park Soo-hyun, who said the topic of reinstating the liaison office was to be talked over, but the prospect of holding a summit was not brought up by the leaders.
One source told the news service that the leaders could potentially participate in a virtual summit if North Korea declines an in-person meeting because of COVID-19.
As North Korea works to improve its relationship with the South, the country’s foreign minister said last month that Pyongyang will not engage in talks with the United States that would likely be futile.
“We are not considering even the possibility of any contact with the U.S., let alone having it, which would get us nowhere, only taking up precious time,” Foreign Minister Ri Son Gwon said, according to Reuters, which cited state media.