Amid reports that North Korea rejected a letter sent by U.S. President Donald Trump, the White House noted on the 11th (local time) that it is still 'open' to an exchange of letters with Kim Jong Un, the Chairperson of North Korea.

Karoline Leavitt, the White House Spokesperson, said during a briefing that 'the president remains receptive to an exchange of letters with Kim Jong Un.'

The North Korean news outlet NK News previously reported that North Korean diplomats in New York had repeatedly rejected the receipt of the letter sent by President Trump to Kim.

This means that North Korean authorities did not accept the letter aimed at resuming communication channels between Washington and Pyongyang.

In 2019, Kim Jong-un, General Secretary of the Labor Party of North Korea, and Donald Trump, President of the United States, hold a summit at the Metropole Hotel in Hanoi, Vietnam. /Courtesy of News1

The White House did not deny media reports stating that the U.S. made leading attempts to resume communication between the North American leaders.

Leavitt remarked that 'he (Trump) wanted to build on what was achieved in Singapore during his first term,' referencing past U.S.-North Korea summit results.

Coincidentally, this day marks the anniversary of the first summit between President Trump and Chairperson Kim seven years ago.

Trump and Kim held three summits between 2017 and 2021 during Trump's first term. They also exchanged letters multiple times, which Trump referred to as 'beautiful letters.'

In June 2019, Trump temporarily entered North Korean territory during a visit to the Demilitarized Zone with South Korea.

In June 2021, Moon Jae-in, former President of South Korea, watches Donald Trump, President of the United States, and Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, shake hands at the Panmunjom. /Courtesy of Chosun DB

Experts interpreted that sending letters shows interest in top-down diplomacy with North Korea through direct dialogue with Chairperson Kim, similar to Trump's first term.

Under North Korea's regime, there must be directives from Chairperson Kim for North Korean authorities to reject letters sent by President Trump.

At the second U.S.-North Korea summit in Hanoi in 2019, Chairperson Kim sought to gain sanctions relief in exchange for the denuclearization of the Yongbyon facilities. However, the summit ended without any results. Experts believe that Chairperson Kim continues to harbor animosity toward the Trump administration.

North Korea has extensively supported Russia in the Ukraine war and has even endured troop deployments, establishing a relationship with Russia akin to that of an ally. It is also possible that North Korea assessed that strengthening dialogue with the U.S. was not urgently needed under these circumstances.