US President Donald Trump has agreed to meet with North Korea’s Kim Jong-Un, following months of diplomatic and political manoeuvre that saw the two leaders getting into debates, military threats and throwing taunts.
This meeting would be a historic event as the first meeting between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader, offering a potential breakthrough in relations between the two adversaries.
Chung Eui-Yong, South Korea’s national security adviser, first made the announcement at the White House on Thursday evening, later confirmed by Trump in a social media post.
“President Trump appreciated the briefing and said he would meet Kim Jong-Un by May to achieve permanent denuclearisation,” Chung told reporters.
“The North Korean leader has expressed his commitment to denuclearisation and will refrain from any further nuclear or missile tests during the negotiations.”
Trump wrote in a tweet early on Friday, “Meeting being planned!”
“Kim Jong-Un talked about denuclearisation with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze. Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time. Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached,” Trump said.
Sarah Sanders, Trump’s spokeswoman, told media tabloids that the US president “will accept the invitation to meet with Kim Jong-un at a place and time to be determined”.
She added that “in the meantime, all sanctions and maximum pressure must remain”.
The surprise announcement in Washington, DC, following an announcement by Chung on Tuesday that the North Korean leader had agreed to meet South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in in April.
The agreements, which follow a flurry of cooperative steps taken by the Koreas during last month’s Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, brightened prospects for a dialogue between North Korea and the US over the North Korea’s nuclear programme.