North Korea Invites South Korean President to Pyongyang

In a surprising warming of relations between the two Koreas, South Korean officials announced on Saturday, February 10, that the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has invited the South Korean president to visit Pyongyang. In recent weeks, the two Koreas have engaged in significant negotiations regarding bilateral relations, described as unprecedented in the past two years. Following a report from the South Korean government, the sister of the North Korean leader traveled to the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang with athletes from her country and met with the South Korean president. This marks the first visit by a member of the North Korean leadership family to its southern neighbor since the Korean War from 1950 to 1953. Earlier, Reuters reported that the sister's visit is seen by many experts as a sign of North Korea's willingness to thaw relations with the South. On Saturday, the same news agency reported that Kim Jong-un has officially invited the South Korean president to visit Pyongyang 'at the earliest opportunity' through his sister. If the South Korean leader accepts this invitation, it would be the first meeting between the leaders of the two countries in over a decade. According to reports, South Korean President Moon Jae-in has called for the 'conditions' to be created for this meeting to take place in response to the invitation. Analysts suggest that if this meeting occurs, it would be a 'diplomatic victory' for Mr. Moon, who came to power last year with a promise to develop relations with the northern neighbor. The 2018 Winter Olympics, hosted by South Korea in Pyeongchang, officially opened with participation from 92 countries and nearly three thousand athletes. The sister of the North Korean leader also attended the opening ceremony and reportedly conveyed her brother's invitation to the South Korean president during a luncheon held at the South Korean presidential palace. In contrast to Seoul's clear desire to re-establish relations with its northern neighbor, its ally, the United States, has shown no inclination in this regard, with Vice President Mike Pence, despite being present at the opening ceremony, having no contact with the North Korean delegation. Previously, North Korea's official news agency had also announced that Pyongyang officials do not intend to meet with U.S. officials during the Winter Olympics in South Korea. After the U.S. State Department announced last Tuesday that the United States has no plans to meet with North Korean officials on the sidelines of the Olympics, Mike Pence was quoted as saying that the U.S. 'will not allow North Korean propaganda to overshadow the message and image of the Olympics.'