Kim Jong-un Reaches Out to South Korea
Kim Jong-un is building relations with South Korea by offering to discuss the Winter Olympics.
The Marshal of North Korea reached out to their south counterpart in his 2018 New Year's Day speech last Monday, CNN reports. In his speech, Kim wants to initiate a discussion over the Winter Olympics that will take place in Pyeongchang this February.
Kim said that he will send a delegate to discuss the upcoming 2018 Winter Olympics while urging that their country's representatives should begin their conversations with their South Korean counterparts.
The North Korean leader then bid South Korea a successful execution of hosting the Winter Olympics, and that it would be a great avenue to showcase the "greatness" of their citizens.
Aside from this, Kim Jong-Un also offered his wishes "for peaceful resolution with our southern border." He added that both North and South Korea should start working together as "people of the same heritage to find peace and stability" in eliminating the conflict between the two countries.
All of Kim's statements were much welcomed by South Korean President Moon Jae-in, which was confirmed by his spokesperson, Park Soo-hyun.
"The (President's office) has been expressing its intent to talk with North Korea anytime, anywhere and regardless of formality if this is for the normalization of the inter-Korean relations and for the peace of the Korean Peninsula," Park said in a statement.
Park added that South Korea hopes that they can work with North Korea in resolving any "nuclear issue" with the cooperation of the United Nations.
The spokesperson also expressed his desire to work with North Korea in making the 2018 Winter Olympics a "peace Olympics" because it can contribute to their nation-building.
North Korea's olive branch to their neighbor puts the United States' ties with South Korea in danger. However, President Donald J. Trump doesn't see it as a threat yet.
In one of his tweets, Trump acknowledges that Kim is initiating talks with South Korea while saying, "Perhaps that is good news, perhaps not." Trump even boldly responded to Kim's threats of having his nuclear button "on his desk at all times" by saying that his is "much bigger & more powerful."
