North Korea claims Trump sent letter to Kim Jong-un offering coronavirus help

What they're saying: In a statement aired by the Korean Central News Agency, Kim Yo-jong praised Trump for sending the letter when “big difficulties and challenges lie ahead in the way of developing ties” between the countries, according to AP.

• She said Trump explained that he wanted to “propel the relations between the two countries ... and expressed his intent to render cooperation in the anti-epidemic work."
• “In my personal opinion, I think that the bilateral relations and dialogue for them would be thinkable only when the equilibrium is kept dynamically and morally and justice ensured between the two countries,” she said. “Even at this moment we are working hard to develop and defend ourselves on our own under the cruel environment which the U.S. is keen to ‘provide.’”
• She said her brother expressed his gratitude for the letter.

A senior administration official confirmed to AP that Trump sent a letter to Kim that was consistent with his outreach to other world leaders during the pandemic.

The big picture: Denuclearization talks between North Korea and the United States ground to a halt before the pandemic.

• North Korea in recent weeks has fired multiple short-range projectiles toward Japan into the East Sea. South Korea’s military called the demonstrations “very inappropriate” when the world is struggling with a pandemic.