South Korea on Tuesday said North Korea's response to a statement on a drone flight showed "meaningful progress" in easing tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Monday expressed regret over the drone flight to North Korea, which he said was carried out by civilians acting against government policy.
In response, Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, described Lee's statement as "a manifestation of the attitude of an honest and broad-minded man," adding that Pyongyang viewed the statement as "a very fortunate and wise behavior."
In the statement, Kim Yo Jong also referred to Lee as "president of the Republic of Korea" - the first time North Korea is believed to have used the title since Lee took office last year, according to Yonhap News Agency.
"We assess this as a significant progress towards realizing peace and coexistence on the Korean Peninsula," a South Korean Unification Ministry official said, according to Yonhap, citing Anadolu (8/4).
"There is no reason for the two Koreas to be hostile to each other, and hostility and confrontation are not beneficial to both sides," he continued.
On Tuesday, South Korean Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik told reporters that the President had expressed "his strong desire to restore trust between the two Koreas and voiced the need to ease military tensions."
However, he rejected speculation that Lee was aiming to send a special envoy to North Korea.
"It is more important than ever to manage the situation on the Korean Peninsula stably during this crisis," Kang continued.
"(President) Lee has long believed that the two Koreas need to open the doors that have long been closed," he said.
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