North Korea's Kim Promises to Seek Better Ties With South Korea
- New Year's speech follows death of top cross-border adviser
- Urges greater 'strike capabilities' without mentioning nukes
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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pledged to “actively” work to improve ties with South Korea, days after the death of his top adviser on cross-border talks.
“South Korea should not do anything that could harm an atmosphere for talks,” Kim said in a New Year’s address broadcast on the Internet on Friday. He reaffirmed his commitment to an agreement that defused the peninsula’s highest military tensions in years in August while urging his counterparts in Seoul to exclude the U.S. from negotiations.