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PYONGYANG, North Korea – The North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un has addressed a rare letter to Seoul, expressing his interest in holding “frequent” meetings with his South Korean counterpart in 2019.

In the letter, the North Korean head of state said that he would meet the South Korea President Moon Jae In next year to discuss denuclearization. 

According to a statement released by Jae In’s spokesman, Kim Eui-kyeom, the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said that he wished to pursue peace between the countries and “solve the issue of denuclearizing the peninsula together.”

Further, Jong Un also expressed “much regret” over his failure to visit Seoul this year – a visit that South Korea had touted repeatedly over the last few months, as a potential turning point in ties between the two countries.

The visit, which was set to become the first time a North Korean leader visits Seoul since the end of the Korean War of 1950-1953, was first pitched during Jong Un’s meeting with the South Korean President in Pyongyang in September this year.

Since then, speculation had been rife that Jong Un would indeed make the historic visit before the end of the year.

Jae In too has repeatedly said that the trip could happen by the end of December, even though the North Korean leader had not officially accepted Jae In’s invitation to visit Seoul.

Earlier this month, the South Korean government made the announcement to the people in the country, that the North Korean leader would try and make the visit possible.

The government added that preparations for the visit had been ongoing for weeks and that special decorations, including a large artwork that showed the two Korean leaders smiling and shaking hands, had already been put up around Jae In’s official residence, called the Blue House.  

However, experts had noted that a delay in Kim Jong Un’s visit to Seoul, could complicate efforts for a second summit between the North Korean leader and the U.S. President Donald Trump. 

Kim reveals his plans

With talks between North Korea and the U.S. being deadlocked for months now, many experts noted that Kim Jong Un may not see any incentive to meet Jae In before sorting out the differences with Washington.

While North Korea has insisted on receiving relief from the strict international sanctions against the country before it denuclearizes, the U.S. has demanded verifiable dismantling of the country’s nuclear arsenal before any sanctions are lifted. 

Now, in his “warm” letter to the South Korean President, Kim Jong Un has promised to make the trip next year.

Jae In’s office said that Jong Un said in the letter that he was sorry his visit to Seoul did not take place, expressing his “strong resolve” to make it happen in the future.

He wrote, “Chairman Kim said he is willing to meet often with President Moon next year to move forward discussions on peace and prosperity and resolve the issue of denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.”

He also added that he wants to hold more inter-Korean summits next year to achieve denuclearization of the peninsula.

Message for Trump

Kim Jong Un, who met the U.S. President Donald Trump in Singapore in June this year, vowed to denuclearize at the time. 

However, with talks locked and no resolution in sight, the North Korean leader is also said to have sent a “letter-like” message to Trump.

South Korea’s Chosun Ilbo newspaper cited an unnamed diplomatic source as saying that the letter was delivered to the U.S. President on Friday through an unspecified channel.

The “conciliatory message” sent to Trump was related to U.S-North Korea talks.

However, so far, neither the U.S. State Department nor the U.S. Embassy in Seoul has commented on the report by Chosun Ilbo.

Earlier this month, Pyongyang’s state media slammed new U.S. sanctions but made it a point to credit Trump for his “willingness” to continue dialogue.

Addressing a news briefing on Monday, the South Korean President’s spokesman told reporters, “There is a dialogue channel between North Korea and the United States through which they exchange active communication, but I cannot know whether it took the form of letter or something else.”

An issue of ratings

While enhancing ties between the two Koreas has been on the South Korean President’s agenda since his election campaigning days, Jae In would want the Kim Jong Un Seoul visit to materialize to help improve his domestic standing as well.

So far, in his role as the President, Jae In’s approval ratings have depended heavily on the progress in the expansion of the inter-Korean ties. 

Following his first summit with Kim Jong Un in April, the South Korean President’s approval rating soared as high as 80 percent. 

However, his ratings slumped to 50 percent amid deepening frustrations over the lack of progress in ending the North Korean nuclear problem.

Other economic issues and youth unemployment too have affected Moon Jae In’s ratings.

However, Jae In’s opponents have lashed out at his approach towards its oppressive neighbour. 

Sohn Hak-kyu, leader of the opposition Bareun Mirae Party, told reporters on Monday, “Our government’s submissive attitude can make North Korea arrogant and trigger a backlash from our people.”