Seoul: South Korea and the United States have initiated dialogue overtures toward North Korea, with Seoul halting its anti-Pyongyang loudspeaker campaign and U.S. President Donald Trump attempting to send a letter to leader Kim Jong-un, drawing attention to North Korea's potential response.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the new Lee Jae-myung administration in South Korea has issued a call to stop leaflet campaigns against North Korea, signaling plans to curb such activities. Additionally, the South Korean military suspended loudspeaker broadcasts of propaganda along the inter-Korean border. Meanwhile, a recent report disclosed that Trump tried to deliver a letter to Kim, though North Korean diplomats in New York declined to accept it. A White House spokesperson confirmed Trump's interest in dialogue, expressing his desire to build on the progress from the 2018 Singapore summit.

These efforts by Seoul and Washington precede the seventh anniversary of the first Trump-Kim summit in Singapore. The potential for dialogue with North Korea and a decrease in military tensions depend on Pyongyang's response, following a prolonged absence of talks since the 2019 Hanoi summit failed to yield a deal. North Korea has reacted by halting its broadcasts toward the South, yet experts caution against expecting immediate changes in its stance.

North Korea's refusal to accept Trump's letter is widely viewed as a refusal to engage in dialogue with Washington presently. Park Won-gon, a professor at Ewha Womans University, suggests that North Korea will ensure its demands, such as suspending joint South Korea-U.S. military exercises, are met before considering talks.

Experts warn against interpreting North Korea's suspension of broadcasts as a sign of improved ties with Seoul, suggesting it may be a reciprocal gesture. Kim Jong-un has previously defined North and South Korea as hostile countries, and North Korea has severed connections with the South.

North Korea's reluctance to engage with Seoul and Washington is linked to its military alignment with Russia, from which it has received aid and military technology in exchange for supporting Russia in the Ukraine conflict. The outcome of Russia's negotiations with the U.S. and others on the war may influence North Korea's stance on dialogue.

Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies, indicates a dialogue opportunity might arise later in the year, contingent on progress in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and North Korea's development plans. A shift in North Korea's focus to economic development and external cooperation could potentially open doors for dialogue with the U.S. or South Korea.