South Korean president has lunch with North Korean leader's sister

Will South Korea receive a handwritten letter from Kim Jong-un?

On February 10, South Korean President Moon Jae-in is expected to hold talks with Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, and other senior North Korean officials in the delegation to South Korea for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.

Kim Yo-jong is the first member of Kim Jong-un's family to cross the border into South Korea. According to media reports, Kim Yo-jong arrived in Seoul on a private plane on the afternoon of February 9.

A 22-member North Korean delegation led by Kim Yong-nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly (Parliament), arrived in PyeongChang, about 180 km east of Seoul, to attend the Olympic opening ceremony. However, only Kim Yong-nam attended a reception hosted by President Moon Jae-in later in the evening, which was attended by US Vice President Mike Pence and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The North Korean delegation returned to Seoul on February 10 to attend a meeting with President Moon Jae-in, scheduled to be held at the Presidential Office, before leaving for home on February 11.

According to the Korea Times, President Moon Jae-in will hold talks and have lunch with Kim Yo-jong and Kim Yong-nam. Officials from the Blue House (South Korean government) also speculate that Kim Yo-jong will also serve as a special envoy for her brother during her trip to South Korea. According to a source from the Blue House: "Kim Yo-jong may bring a handwritten letter from Kim Jong-un or convey the North Korean leader's message to South Korea."

If this speculation turns out to be true, the South Korean government of President Moon Jae-in will also send a special envoy to Pyongyang in response. And this “exchange of special envoys” opens up a huge prospect of an inter-Korean summit.

Common Goal - Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula

On the sidelines of the PyeongChang Olympics, South Korean President Moon Jae-in also held a series of bilateral meetings with world leaders. During the meeting, President Moon received US Vice President Mike Pence at the Blue House. The two sides reaffirmed the principle of maximum pressure and sanctions to bring North Korea back to the nuclear negotiating table.

“The United States has affirmed its stance and commitment to closely cooperate with South Korea to promote the current inter-Korean talks, as well as support the North Korean athletes' participation in the Olympics,” President Moon Jae-in said.

“We will make the most of this opportunity. We will push for every effort to bring Pyongyang to the negotiating table for denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula,” the South Korean president stressed.

US Vice President Mike Pence also expressed hope at the meeting that the current inter-Korean dialogue will lead to peace on the Korean Peninsula. He affirmed that the common efforts and goals of all parties are to persuade Pyongyang to completely abandon its nuclear and strategic missile programs.

Blue House press secretary Yoon Young-chan revealed that Vice President Mike Pence delivered a message from US President Donald Trump to his South Korean counterpart that Washington fully supports President Moon Jae-in in his efforts to host the PyeongChang Olympics peacefully. The US side also affirmed that cooperation and dialogue between the two allies Washington and Seoul are closer than ever.

Meanwhile, at a bilateral meeting with Hai Hanzheng, special envoy of Chinese President Xi Jinping, the South Korean President expressed hope: “Inter-Korean dialogues can lead to negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang on denuclearization. I hope China will play an active role in promoting these negotiations.”

The two sides also pledged to promote joint efforts to peacefully resolve the North Korean nuclear issue, particularly emphasizing China's support for the current warm and positive atmosphere between the two Koreas.

China and South Korea also hope that this Olympics will also provide an opportunity for high-level delegations from North Korea and the United States to meet as a preparation step for the prospect of future nuclear negotiations, especially when US Vice President Mike Pence is in South Korea at the same time as Kim Yo-jong and Kim Yong-nam.

From Washington, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi, in a meeting on February 8, also reaffirmed the two countries' commitment to increasing pressure on North Korea.

Both sides reaffirmed the commitment of President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping to continue to apply pressure on North Korea regarding its worrying nuclear and weapons programs.

State Councilor Yang Jiechi also called on the international community to support positive signals of reconciliation in inter-Korean relations, and affirmed that efforts will continue to reduce tensions on the Korean Peninsula./.