U.S. State Department spokesman Ian Kelly confirmed Wednesday U.S. special envoy to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Stephen Bosworth delivered President Barack Obama's letter to the country's top leader Kim Jong-il during his visit this month, Xinhua reported.
"I can only confirm there was such a letter," Kelly said during a regular briefing in the State Department, refusing to discuss the content and tone of the message.
Bosworth conducted a three-day visit to the DPRK last week, becoming the highest ranking U.S. official to visit the country since Obama took office. According to the administration, his visit was to see if the DPRK is prepared to return to six-party talks and to reaffirm its commitments under the 2005 joint communique.
Bosworth himself refused to confirm the existence of Obama's letter earlier in a State Department briefing, telling reporters " I was the message."
He said he was conveying directly to the DPRK leadership "a vision for the future which would be a lot different than the present or the past."
U.S. envoy delivers Obama's letter to DPRK leader
