

By Park Si-soo



South Korean President Moon Jae-in will soon send a special envoy to North Korea in response to an invitation from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, his office said Thursday night.

The announcement came after Moon had a 30-minute phone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump starting 10 p.m.

"In response to the visit by North Korea's special envoy Kim Yo-jong, President Moon conveyed to Trump his plans to dispatch a special envoy to the North soon," Cheong Wa Dae said in a statement.

"The two leaders agreed to continue close consultations on the progress of South-North Korea dialogue that will go on."

Moon's spokesman did not reveal any further details of the special envoy. He also did not disclose Trump's reaction to the plan.

During the talks, Moon and Trump agreed to "foster inter-Korean dialogue and continue efforts for denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," the presidential office said.

Senior North Korean officials visiting South Korea for the Winter Olympics said last Sunday their government was open to talks with the United States, while the White House said any talks with North Korea must lead to an end to its nuclear program.

Moon has urged North Korea and the United States to talk for peaceful resolution of the North Korean nuclear crisis. In the latest attempt to defuse the crisis, Seoul urged Washington and Pyongyang to give ground to allow for talks.

In the conversation, Moon thanked Trump for sending high-level delegations to the opening and closing ceremonies of the PyeongChang Olympics, led by U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and Trump's daughter Ivanka, respectively.

Trump offered his congratulations for having staged what he called a "very successful" Olympics, according to Cheong Wa Dae.