The White House confirmed that U.S. President Donald Trump remains open to dialogue with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, even after reports that Pyongyang rejected multiple outreach efforts.

Trump Seeks to Reopen Diplomatic Channels

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Wednesday that Trump wants to build on the “progress” made during his 2018 summit with Kim. “The president remains receptive to correspondence with Kim Jong Un,” she said, following a NK News report that North Korean diplomats had refused to accept a personal letter from Trump.

According to the report, the letter was intended to reopen communication channels between Washington and Pyongyang.

South Korea Lowers Tensions with Policy Shift

The renewed U.S. outreach comes amid shifting inter-Korean dynamics. South Korea’s newly elected President Lee Jae-myung has adopted a reconciliatory posture, switching off loudspeakers broadcasting K-pop and propaganda across the demilitarized zone. Seoul’s Ministry of National Defence said the move aims to “restore trust in inter-Korean relations.”

Past Summits, Little Breakthrough

While Trump’s meetings with Kim in Singapore, Hanoi, and the Korean DMZ made history, they failed to halt North Korea’s nuclear weapons development. Pyongyang has continued missile tests, and no formal peace treaty has replaced the 1953 armistice.

Trump’s letter reportedly aimed to reopen talks without preconditions, though no response from Kim has been confirmed.