North Korean leader vows to improve ties with South

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has vowed to work to improve relations between his country and neighboring South Korea.

“We will continue to work actively for the North-South dialogue and an improvement in relations,” Kim said during his televises New Year address on Friday.

He also added that Pyongyang was prepared to engage in dialogue with “anyone who truly wants national reconciliation, unity, peace and reunification.”

Kim further said he sought to improve the living standards of North Korean citizens.

The North Korean leader reaffirmed his commitment to an agreement that aimed to reduce tensions on the Korean Peninsula over the summer in August 2015, while urging his counterparts in South Korea to exclude the United States from negotiations.

“We should cherish last year’s high-level talks and make continued efforts to seek dialogue and not take any further steps backwards,” Kim said in reference to the last August negotiations.

The two Koreas are locked in a military stalemate since the end of their 1950-1953 war. No peace deal has been signed ever since, meaning the two countries remain technically at war.

Kim came to power following the death of his father Kim Jong-il in late 2011.