US says North Korea ready to discuss denuclearisation

Seen as a positive step ahead of Trump-Kim scheduled to take place by the end of May.

April 09, 2018 10:14 am | Updated December 01, 2021 12:23 pm IST - WASHINGTON:

Pyongyang's latest announcement sends the right signals ahead of a possible May-end meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader King Jong-un.

Pyongyang's latest announcement sends the right signals ahead of a possible May-end meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader King Jong-un.

North Korea has told the United States that it is ready to discuss the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula at the planned meeting between the two countries’ leaders, media reports said on Sunday citing US officials.

It is believed to be the first time for Pyongyang to convey the message to Washington directly about its intention to denuclearise, reports Xinhua.

It is seen as a positive step toward the meeting between US President Donald Trump and North korea’s top leader Kim Jong Un scheduled to take place by the end of May.

“The US has confirmed that Kim Jong Un is willing to discuss the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula,” a Trump administration official told the Wall Street Journal on Sunday.

Secret contacts

It was not made known when or how the message was delivered, but the US official told media on condition of anonymity that Washington and Pyongyang have held secret contacts recently.

Tension on the Korean Peninsula has thawed in recent months. In March, Mr. Trump and Mr. Kim agreed to meet, but the timing and place of the high-profile gathering have not been announced yet.

Meanwhile, Seoul and Pyongyang agreed to hold a summit on April 27, the first meeting between the leaders of the two sides in 11 years.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.