Kim expresses condolences over virus in South Korea

Seoul: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent a personal letter to South Korean President Moon Jae-in to express his condolences over a soaring viral outbreak, Seoul officials said Thursday.

It wasn't immediately clear if Kim's letter was an attempt to improve strained ties with South Korea amid a deadlock in broader nuclear diplomacy with the US Earlier this week, Kim's sister issued insults against Moon's presidential office in her first official statement.

In his letter to Moon on Wednesday, Kim conveyed a message of comfort to the South Korean people over the cornonavirus outbreak that has infected more than 6,000 people and killed 37 others in the South, senior presidential official Yoon Do-han told reporters. North Korea has repeatedly said there have been no cases of the virus on its soil, a claim that is questioned by many outside experts.

Kim said he was worried about Moon's health and expressed frustration that there wasn't much he could do to help South Korea at this moment, Yoon said. Kim underlined his unwavering friendship and trust toward President Moon and said that he will continue to quietly send his best wishes for President Moon to overcome the outbreak, Yoon

said. Kim also expressed his candid thoughts and opinions about the current situation on the Korean Peninsula, Yoon said, without providing details.

(Image from apnews.com)