North Korea has made a shocking revelation that tyrant
Kim Jong-un is ready to discuss
denuclearisation after extremely high tensions last summer over
nuclear missile tests, it has been reported.
The news comes after US and North Korean officials held secret talks when the two sides were discussing holding the high-level summit between President Donald Trump and Kim, according to a US official.
It could indicate a thawing of tensions between North Korea and the US following the two leader’s war of words with Mr Trump referring to the communist dictator as “rocket man”.
Trump wrote on Twitter: “Received message last night from XI JINPING of China that his meeting with KIM JONG UN went very well and that KIM looks forward to his meeting with me.”
Kim is to hold a summit meeting with South Korea and the US in May about the possibility of lifting sanctions and disarming.
The meeting would be the first time a US President has met with a North Korean leader.
Some commentators have dubbed it as possibly Trump’s “Nixon and Mao” moment after the historical meeting between the former US President and the founder of communism in China.
Trump added on social media: “For years and through many administrations, everyone said that peace and the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula was not even a small possibility.
“Now there is a good chance that Kim Jong-un will do what is right for his people and for humanity.
“In the meantime, and unfortunately, maximum sanctions and pressure must be maintained at all cost!”
During Kim’s meeting with Chinese President Xi, he committed to denuclearisation if the US and South Korea showed “goodwill”.
News of the possible thawing of tensions come after experts warned talks could have "unimaginable" results should Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un fail to resolve their nuclear tension.
Experts have urged the Government to engage in diplomacy with the North Korean regime to keep Kim from triggering an international nuclear conflict.
Lt.Gen. Benjamin C. Freakley told Arizona State University (ASU): "It’s in the best interests of the
United States and the rest of the world to be engaged in a diplomatic and political dialogue with the leadership of North Korea to try to prevent a nuclear or even a conventional war because they have an extremely sizeable military force.
"If we go to war on the Korean Peninsula, it’s all or nothing. They either win or it’s the end of their regime. There would be no limits to combat in that situation, and they’d be all in."
ASU's Center of the Future of War co-director Daniel Rothenberg said: "The possibility of war on the Korean Peninsula is one of the most dangerous situations in the world and could lead to almost unimaginable devastation and human suffering.”
Mr Trump said: "We're moving along very nicely with North Korea. We'll see what happens. Certainly, the rhetoric has calmed down just a little bit.”
Kim will meet with his South Korean counterpart, Moon Jae-in, at the border truce village of Panmunjom on 27 April.