North Korea has sent a clear signal that it is still leaving space to improve relations with the U.S., after authorities apparently decided to skip public annual celebrations this week of the “June 25 Day of Struggle Against U.S. Imperialism.”

State propaganda has traditionally run campaigns on and around June 25 — the day in 1950 when the Korean War began — to foment anti-U.S. sentiment and inspire revenge for alleged war atrocities. 

Friday marked the fourth year in a row that North Korean state media has ignored the quasi-holiday on June 25, starting when U.S.-North Korea relations first began