North Korea's state-sponsored news agency issued a rare press release on Monday, in which the regime's leader, Kim Jong-un, was said to have "expressed satisfaction" after the country's delegation arrived back from a trip to the Winter Olympics in South Korea. Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the propaganda outlet for the regime, claimed that Kim Jong-un said South Korea's "specially prioritized" efforts to accommodate North Korea's delegates were "very impressive," according to a translation from KCNA Watch.
North Korea sent a delegation that included Kim Jong-un's sister and head of its propaganda department, Kim Yo-jong, and the nominal head of state, Kim Yong-nam, to South Korea ahead of the Olympic Games in Pyeongchang.
After North Korea agreed in January, it took several steps that, at least on the surface, appeared to be an effort to thaw its relationship with South Korea. The regime sent Kim Yo-jong there, the first time the regime's ruling family visited the South in decades, as cameras fawned over images of her smiling with South Korean president Moon Jae-in.
During this trip, Kim Yo-jong invited Moon to visit North Korea. A potential visit by Moon would be the first meeting of Korean leaders in Pyongyang since then-South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il for an inter-Korean summit in 2007.
North Korea's recent statement and actions are a stark departure from its usual, bellicose rhetoric, and that has prompted White House officials and foreign-policy experts to be cautious about the overtures.
Vice President Mike Pence, who reportedly floated the possibility of diplomatic engagement with North Korea, said on Monday that President Donald Trump's campaign of "maximum pressure" would continue.
"Despite potential talks, and irrespective of if they happen w/USA or S. Korea, new strong sanctions are coming very soon and the maximum pressure campaign will only intensify until North Korea abandons its nuclear program," Pence tweeted. "All our allies agree!"
And despite being seen cheering for the joint-Korean Winter Olympics team and having luncheons with the North Korean delegation, Moon — who has been accused of being swayed by North Korea's "charm offensive" — has given some indication that he remains wary of North Korea's motives.
Instead of explicitly agreeing to North Korea's invitation to Pyongyang, Moon responded by suggesting the two countries "accomplish this by creating the right conditions," and encouraged the North to "actively pursue" talks with the US.
Moon is also believed to have signalled his commitment to exerting pressure on North Korea. According to Pence on Saturday, "both of us reiterated to each other tonight that we will continue to stand strong and work in a coordinated way to bring maximum economic and diplomatic pressure to bear on North Korea."
