SEOUL, March 1 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump held a telephone conversation Thursday night, agreeing to continue efforts to achieve a denuclearized Korean Peninsula by maintaining a dialogue mood created by the Winter Olympics.
Yoon Young-chan, senior press secretary for Moon, said in a written statement that Moon held a phone dialogue with Trump for about 30 minutes from 10 p.m. local time (1300 GMT) to discuss the Korean Peninsula issues such as the improved inter-Korean relations.
During the phone talks, Moon and Trump agreed to continue efforts to maintain a dialogue momentum between the two Koreas and link it to achieving the denuclearized Korean Peninsula.
The two presidents discussed the result of the visits by a special envoy and high-ranking delegations from the DPRK to South Korea during the Olympics.
Kim Yo Jong, the younger sister of top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un, made a three-day visit to South Korea to attend the Olympic opening ceremony, which was held on Feb. 9 in South Korea's east county of PyeongChang.
As the DPRK leader's special envoy, the younger Kim met with President Moon and conveyed her brother's invitation to Moon to visit Pyongyang at a convenient time.
Moon, in response, said the two Koreas should create conditions to realize the possible third inter-Korean summit meeting, asking the DPRK side to more actively engage in a dialogue with the United States.
The first inter-Korean summit was held in 2000, followed by the second one in 2007.
The DPRK leader positively responded to Moon's call as the high-ranking DPRK delegation to the Olympic closing ceremony expressed Pyongyang's "enough" willingness to talk directly with Washington.
Kim Yong Chol, a vice chairman of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea who led the DPRK delegation to the closing ceremony, said "doors are open" for talks with the United States.
During the phone conversation, Moon told Trump about his plan to send a special envoy to the DPRK in the near future in return for the younger Kim's visit to South Korea as the DPRK leader's special envoy.
Dispatch of the special envoy to the DPRK was aimed at confirming what South Korea discussed with the high-ranking DPRK delegations during the Olympic period, according to the Blue House.
Moon and Trump agreed to continue a close discussion about any progress that can be made in future inter-Korean dialogues.
Moon expressed his gratitude to Trump for his dispatch of Vice President Mike Pence and Ivanka Trump, a daughter of the U.S. President, to the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.
The South Korean president said Trump's support made it possible for the Winter Olympics to be held successfully.
Trump extended his congratulations to Moon for the successful hosting of the winter sports event.
