Leaders of 2 Koreas exchange letters of hope amid tensions

By KIM TONG-HYUNG
Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The leaders of the rival Koreas have exchanged letters expressing hope for improved bilateral relations, which have plummeted amid a freeze in nuclear negotiations and North Korea’s accelerating weapons development. North Korea’s state media said Friday that leader Kim Jong Un received a personal letter from outgoing South Korean President Moon Jae-in and replied with his own letter appreciating Moon’s peace efforts during his term. Moon’s office said he expressed hope for revived diplomacy. Moon’s term ends in May and his successor could take a harder line toward Pyongyang. President-elect Yoon Suk Yeol has criticized Moon’s approach with North Korea as “subservient” and vowed to bolster Seoul’s alliance with Washington to counter the nuclear threat.