Trump releases 'very nice' letter from Kim Jong Un

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US President Donald Trump reiterated optimism on Thursday about efforts to end the nuclear standoff with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), as he tweeted a letter from Kim Jong Un.

The four-paragraph letter – in which Kim voices hope in a "new future" and speaks of his "invariable trust" in Trump – is dated July 6, the day US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo landed in the DPRK for what turned out to be acrimonious talks with Kim Yong Chol.

This combination of pictures created July 12, 2018 shows the letter dated July 6, 2018 from the DPRK's leader Kim Jong Un to US President Donald Trump (in Korean at left and English translation at right), released July 12, 2018 by Trump via Twitter. /VCG Photo

"A very nice note from Chairman Kim of North Korea (DPRK)," Trump tweeted with a copy of the letter. "Great progress being made!"

Addressing Trump, Kim describes their June 12 summit in Singapore, and the joint statement, as the "start of a meaningful journey."

"I firmly believe that the strong will, sincere efforts and unique approach of myself and Your Excellency Mr. President aimed at opening up a new future between the DPRK and the US will surely come to fruition," Kim writes, according to the translation tweeted by the president.

"I deeply appreciate the energetic and extraordinary efforts made by Your Excellency Mr. President for the improvement of relations between the two countries and the faithful implementation of the joint statement," he adds.

US President Donald Trump (R) and the DPRK's leader Kim Jong Un shake hands following a signing ceremony during their historic US-DPRK summit, at the Capella Hotel on Sentosa island in Singapore, June 12, 2018. /VCG Photo

Kim also voices hope "the invariable trust and confidence in Your Excellency Mr. President will be further strengthened in the future process of taking practical actions."

Pompeo traveled to Pyongyang for two days last week in a bid to flesh out denuclearization commitments made during last month's historic summit.

Speaking afterward in Tokyo, Pompeo insisted the talks were making progress and were being conducted in "good faith."

But in stark contrast, Pyongyang's take was overwhelmingly negative, with the DPRK warning that the future of the peace process was being jeopardized by "unilateral and gangster-like" US demands for its nuclear disarmament.

The DPRK's Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho (center R) greeting US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (center L) at Pyongyang International Airport, July 6, 2018 /VCG Photo

Illegal fuel sales

Even as Trump released Kim's note, the US was asking the UN Security Council to punish the DPRK after finding that Pyongyang had violated restrictions on refined oil imports.

The DPRK UN mission did not immediately respond to a media request for comment on the US accusation.

The DPRK relies on imported fuel to keep its struggling economy functioning.

The United States said that as of May 30, 89 DPRK tankers had brought in refined petroleum products illicitly obtained in ship-to-ship transfers this year.

A conductor reads the latest edition of the Rodong Sinmun newspaper showing images of DPRK leader Kim Jong Un meeting with US President Donald Trump during their summit in Singapore, at a newsstand on a subway platform of the Pyongyang metro, June 13, 2018. /VCG Photo

The United States did not broadly say which countries it believed were illicitly providing the DPRK with refined petroleum. But it does mention one case of a ship-to-ship transfer involving a Russian-flagged ship and one case involving a Belize-flagged ship.

The 15-member Security Council capped refined petroleum product exports to the DPRK at 500,000 barrels a year in December, down from a previous limit, adopted in September, of two million barrels a year.

According to the Security Council DPRK sanctions committee website, only Russia and China have reported legitimate sales of some 14,000 tons of refined petroleum to the DPRK in 2018.

The US provided a list to the Security Council committee of the 89 DPRK tankers and a few select photos, seen by Reuters.

Members of the United Nations Security Council vote to impose new sanctions on DPRK on December 22, 2017 in New York City. /VCG Photo

"If fully loaded at around 90 percent laden, DPRK tankers have delivered nearly triple the 2018 quota at 1,367,628 barrels," the United States said.

It asked the DPRK sanctions committee to issue an urgent note to all UN member states notifying them that the DPRK has breached the refined petroleum cap and order an immediate halt to all transfers.

In March the UN Security Council blacklisted dozens of ships and shipping companies over oil and coal smuggling by the DPRK.

Source(s): AFP ,Reuters