President Donald Trump on Tuesday said that he was looking forward to meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to discuss nuclear denuclearisation process and peace talks.
"Kim Jong-un says North Korea will not make or test nuclear weapons, or give them to others - & he is ready to meet President Trump anytime." PBS News Hour. I also look forward to meeting with Chairman Kim who realizes so well that North Korea possesses great economic potential!" the US President tweeted.
According to The Hill, earlier on Tuesday, the North Korean leader had clearly stated in his New Year message that if Washington insists on "one-sided demands," then the former will have "no choice but to defend our country's sovereignty and supreme interest, and find a new way to settle peace on our peninsula."
Kim further agreed to give up his atomic arsenal and long-range missiles programmes if the US provided North Korea with relaxation in sanction.
The North Korean leader reaffirmed his country's commitment to denuclearisation while stating that US-North Korea relations could improve if the United States responded in a corresponding manner to the state's efforts towards denuclearisation.
"If the U.S. responds to our active and preemptive efforts with trustworthy steps and corresponding behaviour, (the North-U.S. relations) will move forward at an excellent and fast pace in the process of taking concrete and innovative measures," Kim said.