‘Hello. Period’: Biden’s message to Kim signals openness to dialogue

US President Joe Biden on Sunday left a brief message for North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un amid increasing tensions over Pyongyang’s increasing missile tests and the threat of a nuclear test looming large.

Asked by reporters in Seoul whether he had any message for his North Korean counterpart, Biden replied with a, “Hello. Period.”

The 79-year-old’s brief message for Kim, however, was not ambiguous, and instead signalled the Biden-Harris administration’s openness to engage in dialogue with North Korea, which has threatened to resume the development of nuclear weapons for the first time in five years.

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Despite repeated warnings by US officials of a potential nuclear test by Pyongyang during Biden’s trip, the US President reiterated that he had “no concerns” whatsoever about North Korea’s activities, assuring everyone, “We are prepared for anything North Korea does.”

Biden, who is on his maiden trip to Asia and travels to Japan on Sunday, had earlier said that North Korea had effectively turned down Washington’s offers to provide COVID-19 vaccines.

Speaking from Seoul on Saturday about the COVID-19 outbreak in North Korea that is fast spiralling out of control, the US President had said that his administrations offers of help had received “no response” from Pyongyang.

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Despite, Pyongyang’s stubborn stance on not accepting foreign help, reports suggest that Kim and his administration are struggling to contain the COVID-19 outbreak.

While North Korea had reported zero COVID-19 cases for the first two years of the pandemic, case counts have exploded over the past two weeks: since announcing its first suspected COVID-19 case last Thursday, which state media described as “fever,” the country’s case load has crossed 2.5 million, approximately 10% of the North Korea’s population.

With the country lacking vaccines and saddled with ageing medical infrastructure, it may simply be a question of time before Kim looks outside for assistance.