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North Korea's Kim Jong Un Says He's Open To Summit With South Korea

North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un says he's open to dialogue with South Korean President Park Geun-hye.

NPR's Anthony Kuhn reports that Kim's overture was made during a televised address. Anthony filed this report for our Newscast unit:

" 'If the atmosphere and environment are right, there's no reason not to hold a high-level summit' with South Korea, Kim said in his 30-minute long address.

"Kim added that the North is ready to expand special economic and tourist zones where South Koreans can invest and travel.

"The two sides had agreed to talks in late October, but the North canceled them in protest after South Korean activists launched balloons with propaganda leaflets into the north.

"Kim just finished the traditional three-year period of mourning for his late father, and observers have been expecting the young Kim to make some new moves."

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Eyder Peralta is NPR's East Africa correspondent based in Nairobi, Kenya.