Trump meeting positive for Koreas: Kim Jong-un

IANS  |  Pyongyang 

North Korean leader said his upcoming meeting with will be positive towards easing tensions on the Korean Peninsula, reported on Thursday.

During the meeting with Pompeo, Kim described the planned summit as "historic" and "the excellent first step toward promotion of the positive situation development in the and building of a good future".

This was Pompeo's second visit to the Asian country after his secret trip over Easter, when he also met with Kim, to finalize preparations for the summit, reports news.

"At the meeting, an in-depth discussion was made on the practical matters for holding the North Korea-summit and its procedure and ways. reached a satisfactory consensus on the issues discussed with the U.S. state secretary," quoted as saying.

This is the first time that the North Korean leader officially spoke of the meeting with Trump, which has been scheduled for the end of May or the beginning of June and will be the first meeting in history between the heads of government of the two countries.

said that Kim also "accepted an official suggestion of the US for the release of Americans who have been detained" and gave an order "on granting amnesty to them for their repatriation".

The three Americans -- Kim Dong-chul, 64, Kim Sang-duk, 58, and Kim Hak-song, around 60 -- who had been held prisoners in North Korea, were all born in South but later acquired US citizenship.

Pompeo also delivered Kim a "verbal message" from Trump, adding Kim highly appreciated that the US has shown "deep interest in settling the issue through dialogue".

Details of Trump's message was not disclosed.

The North's media covered Wednesday's meeting extensively.

The Rodong Sinmun, the of North Korea's Workers' Party, devoted the front page to the Kim-Pompeo meeting, with relevant photos including those showing the two shaking hands.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

First Published: Thu, May 10 2018. 08:32 IST