President Donald Trump has brushed off North Korea's warning of a 'Christmas gift', saying the United States would “deal with it very successfully”.

He said that Kim Jong-un might send him a beautiful vase amid concerns that Pyongyang might be preparing for a missile test.

US President Donald Trump when asked about the threatening 'Christmas surprise' from North Korea, &nbsp;said "Oh, that's okay. We'll find out what the surprise is and we'll deal with it very successfully. And, let's see what happens. Everybody has got surprises for me but let's see what happens. I handle them as they come along."

"We'll see what happens. We'll see what happens. We will —, let's see. Maybe it's a nice present. Maybe it's a present where he sends me a beautiful vase, as opposed to a missile test. Right? I may get a vase. I may get a nice present from him. You don't know. You never know," he added.

Earlier this month, North Korea had warned Washington of an ominous "Christmas gift" after its leader Kim Jong-un gave the United States until the end of the year to propose new concessions in the stalled denuclearisation talks.

(With&nbsp;inputs from agencies)

President Donald Trump has brushed off North Korea's warning of a 'Christmas gift', saying the United States would “deal with it very successfully”. He said that Kim Jong-un might send him a beautiful vase amid concerns that Pyongyang might be preparing for a missile test.

President Donald Trump has brushed off North Korea's warning of a 'Christmas gift', saying the United States would “deal with it very successfully”. He said that Kim Jong-un might send him a beautiful vase amid concerns that Pyongyang might be preparing for a missile test. US President Donald Trump when asked about the threatening 'Christmas surprise' from North Korea, said "Oh, that's okay. We'll find out what the surprise is and we'll deal with it very successfully. And, let's see what happens. Everybody has got surprises for me but let's see what happens. I handle them as they come along." "We'll see what happens. We'll see what happens. We will —, let's see. Maybe it's a nice present. Maybe it's a present where he sends me a beautiful vase, as opposed to a missile test. Right? I may get a vase. I may get a nice present from him. You don't know. You never know," he added. Earlier this month, North Korea had warned Washington of an ominous "Christmas gift" after its leader Kim Jong-un gave the United States until the end of the year to propose new concessions in the stalled denuclearisation talks. (With inputs from agencies)

Donald Trump brushes off Kim Jong-un's ‘Christmas gift” warning

Four spy surveillance jets have reportedly flown over the Korean Peninsula, an aviation tracker organisation said on Wednesday.

These jets were detected at the same time amid concerns that North Korea may test-launch a missile as a "Christmas gift" for Washington.

These four aircraft have been detected as RC-135W Rivet Joint, E-8C, RQ-4 Global Hawk and RC-135S Cobra Ball - between Tuesday and early Wednesday, according to private aviation tracker Aircraft Spots.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he hoped that North Korea would not deliver a missile test as its threatened "Christmas gift" that could reignite global tensions over its nuclear program.

Earlier in the first week of December, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had promised an unidentified "gift" for the United States — which could be a missile test — if the US does not make concessions in nuclear talks by the end of the year.

"We'll find out what the surprise is and we'll deal with it very successfully," Trump told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.

(With inputs from AFP)

Four spy surveillance jets have reportedly flown over the Korean Peninsula, an aviation tracker organisation said on Wednesday. These jets were detected at the same time amid concerns that North Korea may test-launch a missile as a "Christmas gift" for Washington.

Four spy surveillance jets have reportedly flown over the Korean Peninsula, an aviation tracker organisation said on Wednesday. These jets were detected at the same time amid concerns that North Korea may test-launch a missile as a "Christmas gift" for Washington. These four aircraft have been detected as RC-135W Rivet Joint, E-8C, RQ-4 Global Hawk and RC-135S Cobra Ball - between Tuesday and early Wednesday, according to private aviation tracker Aircraft Spots. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he hoped that North Korea would not deliver a missile test as its threatened "Christmas gift" that could reignite global tensions over its nuclear program. Earlier in the first week of December, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had promised an unidentified "gift" for the United States — which could be a missile test — if the US does not make concessions in nuclear talks by the end of the year. "We'll find out what the surprise is and we'll deal with it very successfully," Trump told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. (With inputs from AFP)

US flies surveillance jets over Korean Peninsula amid concern about Kim Jong Un's 'Christmas gift'

South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/japan-prime-minister-shinzo-abe-might-cancel-india-trip-report-268002">Shinzo Abe</a> will meet President Xi Jinping separately before going to the southwestern city of Chengdu for a trilateral meeting with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.

Though various economic matters will also be on the agenda - as well as tensions between Seoul and Tokyo - North Korea appears likely to dominate the agenda.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held a meeting of top military officials to discuss boosting the country's military capability, state news agency reported on Sunday.

North Korea has set a year-end deadline for the United States to change what it says is a policy of hostility amid a stalemate in efforts to make progress on their pledge to end the North's nuclear programme and establish lasting peace.

Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump have met three times since June 2018, but there has been no substantive progress in dialogue while the North demanded crushing international sanctions be lifted first.

On Saturday, the state media said the United States would "pay dearly" for taking issue with the North's human rights record and said Washington's "malicious words" would only aggravate tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

US&nbsp;special envoy for <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-conducts-another-crucial-test-at-satellite-launch-site-report-268259">North Korea</a> Stephen <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-envoy-biegun-to-north-korea-were-here-you-know-how-to-reach-us-268526">Biegun</a> met with two senior Chinese diplomats during his two-day visit to Beijing last week, following similar meeting in South Korea and Japan days earlier, as diplomats make last-ditch attempts to prevent new confrontation.

Beijing, jointly with Russia, proposed last week that the United Nations Security Council <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-china-make-un-proposal-to-ease-sanctions-against-nuclear-armed-north-korea-268814">lift some sanctions</a> in what it calls an attempt to break the current deadlock and seek to build support.

But it's unclear whether Beijing can convince Seoul and Tokyo to break ranks from Washington, which has made its opposition clear and can veto any resolution.

Though South Korea sees China as instrumental in reviving negotiations, it has so far sidestepped questions on whether it supports the new proposal by Beijing and Moscow. Japan, which has historically been a staunch supporter of sanctions against North Korea, has also refrained from commenting on the proposal.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will meet President Xi Jinping separately before going to the southwestern city of Chengdu for a trilateral meeting with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will meet President Xi Jinping separately before going to the southwestern city of Chengdu for a trilateral meeting with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. Though various economic matters will also be on the agenda - as well as tensions between Seoul and Tokyo - North Korea appears likely to dominate the agenda. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held a meeting of top military officials to discuss boosting the country's military capability, state news agency reported on Sunday. North Korea has set a year-end deadline for the United States to change what it says is a policy of hostility amid a stalemate in efforts to make progress on their pledge to end the North's nuclear programme and establish lasting peace. Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump have met three times since June 2018, but there has been no substantive progress in dialogue while the North demanded crushing international sanctions be lifted first. On Saturday, the state media said the United States would "pay dearly" for taking issue with the North's human rights record and said Washington's "malicious words" would only aggravate tensions on the Korean Peninsula. US special envoy for North Korea Stephen Biegun met with two senior Chinese diplomats during his two-day visit to Beijing last week, following similar meeting in South Korea and Japan days earlier, as diplomats make last-ditch attempts to prevent new confrontation. Beijing, jointly with Russia, proposed last week that the United Nations Security Council lift some sanctions in what it calls an attempt to break the current deadlock and seek to build support. But it's unclear whether Beijing can convince Seoul and Tokyo to break ranks from Washington, which has made its opposition clear and can veto any resolution. Though South Korea sees China as instrumental in reviving negotiations, it has so far sidestepped questions on whether it supports the new proposal by Beijing and Moscow. Japan, which has historically been a staunch supporter of sanctions against North Korea, has also refrained from commenting on the proposal.

China's Xi to meet Japan, South Korea leaders as North Korea tensions rise

The United States and South Korea must produce new solutions for the current standoff on the Korean Peninsula, a senior North Korean military official said on Monday, warning that hostile policies towards Pyongyang would lead to serious consequences.

The remarks add to recent comments from Pyongyang expressing discontent at the lack of progress in its negotiations with Washington.&nbsp;

This month North Korea issued a veiled threat about ending the freeze in long-range missile testing amid continued economic sanctions and pressure aimed at pushing it to give up its nuclear and ballistic missiles programmes.

Kim Hyong Ryong, North Korea's Vice Minister of the People's Armed Forces, said at the Xiangshan Forum in Beijing that North Korea has worked to build lasting piece but that the situation has relapsed into a "dangerous, vicious cycle" of exacerbating tensions because of the actions of the US and South Korean governments.

"Though it has been more than one year since the DPRK-US joint statement was adopted, there is no progress in improving bilateral relations between the two countries, completely because of the US' anachronistic, hostile policies against the DPRK," Kim said, referring to his country by the initials of its formal name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

He also accused South Korea of a "double-dealing attitude" in continuing to carry out military drills with the U.S. and buying advanced military equipment.

"Bearing in mind our firm will to safeguard peace in the region, the United States and the South Korean authorities must refrain from any actions disrupting the stability of the situation and come up with a new way for solving the problem," Kim said.

North Korea has conducted missile tests in recent months, including that of a submarine-launched ballistic missile, and broke off the latest working-level nuclear talks with the US in early October.

Pyongyang's top negotiator for the talks blamed the US for the breakdown and said Washington "brought nothing" to the negotiating table.

Pyongyang has so far stuck to a freeze in testing of nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles that has been in place since 2017 and allowed for three meetings between its leader, Kim Jong Un, and US President Donald Trump since last year.

North Korean state media reported last week on Kim Jong Un's visit to Mt Paektu, the spiritual homeland of the Kim dynasty, and that his aides are convinced the leader plans "a great operation," which experts say may signal a major shift in Pyongyang's stance towards the US&nbsp;in the coming months.

Some analysts say possible North Korean actions could include another space launch or an intercontinental ballistic missile test.

The United States and South Korea must produce new solutions for the current standoff on the Korean Peninsula, a senior North Korean military official said on Monday, warning that hostile policies towards Pyongyang would lead to serious consequences.

The United States and South Korea must produce new solutions for the current standoff on the Korean Peninsula, a senior North Korean military official said on Monday, warning that hostile policies towards Pyongyang would lead to serious consequences. The remarks add to recent comments from Pyongyang expressing discontent at the lack of progress in its negotiations with Washington. This month North Korea issued a veiled threat about ending the freeze in long-range missile testing amid continued economic sanctions and pressure aimed at pushing it to give up its nuclear and ballistic missiles programmes. Kim Hyong Ryong, North Korea's Vice Minister of the People's Armed Forces, said at the Xiangshan Forum in Beijing that North Korea has worked to build lasting piece but that the situation has relapsed into a "dangerous, vicious cycle" of exacerbating tensions because of the actions of the US and South Korean governments. "Though it has been more than one year since the DPRK-US joint statement was adopted, there is no progress in improving bilateral relations between the two countries, completely because of the US' anachronistic, hostile policies against the DPRK," Kim said, referring to his country by the initials of its formal name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. He also accused South Korea of a "double-dealing attitude" in continuing to carry out military drills with the U.S. and buying advanced military equipment. "Bearing in mind our firm will to safeguard peace in the region, the United States and the South Korean authorities must refrain from any actions disrupting the stability of the situation and come up with a new way for solving the problem," Kim said. North Korea has conducted missile tests in recent months, including that of a submarine-launched ballistic missile, and broke off the latest working-level nuclear talks with the US in early October. Pyongyang's top negotiator for the talks blamed the US for the breakdown and said Washington "brought nothing" to the negotiating table. Pyongyang has so far stuck to a freeze in testing of nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles that has been in place since 2017 and allowed for three meetings between its leader, Kim Jong Un, and US President Donald Trump since last year. North Korean state media reported last week on Kim Jong Un's visit to Mt Paektu, the spiritual homeland of the Kim dynasty, and that his aides are convinced the leader plans "a great operation," which experts say may signal a major shift in Pyongyang's stance towards the US in the coming months. Some analysts say possible North Korean actions could include another space launch or an intercontinental ballistic missile test.

US, South Korea must present new solutions for conflict: North Korea

Typhoon Tapah approached southwestern Japan Sunday, with heavy rain and strong winds grounding hundreds of regional flights.

Tapah, with gusts up to 162 kilometres&nbsp;per hour, was expected to draw near Nagasaki prefecture overnight, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

It was on course to travel through the channel between Japan and the Korean Peninsula before moving toward northern Japan on Monday when it is expected to weaken and be downgraded, the agency said.

The storm prompted cancellations of more than 400 domestic flights, according to national broadcaster NHK.

"Serious caution is warranted for violent winds, high waves, and landslides," said Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency in a statement.

So far the typhoon has caused 21 minor injuries, mostly in a southern island region of Okinawa that was hit by the storm earlier.

Evacuation advisories have been issued to more than 2,000 regional residents, according to the disaster management agency.

Tapah follows on the trail of Typhoon Faxai, which barrelled through Tokyo earlier this month, packing record winds that brought down power lines, caused travel chaos and disrupted Rugby World Cup preparations.

It resulted in a lengthy blackout on the outskirts of Tokyo that left tens of thousands of people without power for more than a week.

Typhoon Tapah approached southwestern Japan Sunday, with heavy rain and strong winds grounding hundreds of regional flights. Tapah, with gusts up to 162 kilometres per hour, was expected to draw near Nagasaki prefecture overnight, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

Typhoon Tapah approached southwestern Japan Sunday, with heavy rain and strong winds grounding hundreds of regional flights. Tapah, with gusts up to 162 kilometres per hour, was expected to draw near Nagasaki prefecture overnight, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. It was on course to travel through the channel between Japan and the Korean Peninsula before moving toward northern Japan on Monday when it is expected to weaken and be downgraded, the agency said. The storm prompted cancellations of more than 400 domestic flights, according to national broadcaster NHK. "Serious caution is warranted for violent winds, high waves, and landslides," said Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency in a statement. So far the typhoon has caused 21 minor injuries, mostly in a southern island region of Okinawa that was hit by the storm earlier. Evacuation advisories have been issued to more than 2,000 regional residents, according to the disaster management agency. Tapah follows on the trail of Typhoon Faxai, which barrelled through Tokyo earlier this month, packing record winds that brought down power lines, caused travel chaos and disrupted Rugby World Cup preparations. It resulted in a lengthy blackout on the outskirts of Tokyo that left tens of thousands of people without power for more than a week.

Flights cancelled as Typhoon Tapah approaches Japan

Typhoon Lingling strikes Korean peninsula, 5 killed and more than 400 houses devastated. This typhoon wreaks havoc.

Typhoon Lingling strikes Korean peninsula, 5 killed and more than 400 houses devastated

Russia carried out what it said was its first long-range joint air patrol in the Asia Pacific region with China. It’s a mission that triggered hundreds of warning shots, according to South Korean officials, and a strong protest from Japan.

Gravitas: warplanes from four countries face off in the Korean Peninsula

What Does The Trump-Kim Meeting In North Korea Aim To Achieve?

Gravitas: Will Trump's North Korea visit lead to Denuclearisation Of Korean Peninsula?

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Monday he and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-announces-higher-us-tariffs-on-china-goods-216186">US President Donald Trump</a> agreed completely on the need for North Korea to promptly denuclearise.

"Regarding our response to North Korea going forward, I completely agreed with President Trump in all respects," Abe told reporters after a phone call with the US leader. "Going forward, the United States and Japan will respond together, completely agreeing with a singular understanding on responding together."

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/north-korea-confirms-saturdays-multiple-projectiles-test-216146/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korean-leader-kim-oversaw-testing-of-multiple-rocket-launchers-state-media-216095">North Korea fired several "unidentified short-range projectiles"</a> into the sea off its east coast on Saturday, prompting the South to urge its communist neighbour to "stop acts that escalate military tension on the Korean peninsula".

Trump also said that he had spoken with Abe about North Korea and trade after North Korea raised doubts about the future of denuclearization dialogue with new weapons tests.

In a tweet, Trump described his talk with Abe, a close ally, as a "Very good conversation!" but gave no other details.

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Monday he and US President Donald Trump agreed completely on the need for North Korea to promptly denuclearise. "Regarding our response to North Korea going forward, I completely agreed with President Trump in all respects," Abe told reporters after a phone call with the US leader.

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Monday he and US President Donald Trump agreed completely on the need for North Korea to promptly denuclearise. "Regarding our response to North Korea going forward, I completely agreed with President Trump in all respects," Abe told reporters after a phone call with the US leader. "Going forward, the United States and Japan will respond together, completely agreeing with a singular understanding on responding together." North Korea fired several "unidentified short-range projectiles" into the sea off its east coast on Saturday, prompting the South to urge its communist neighbour to "stop acts that escalate military tension on the Korean peninsula". Trump also said that he had spoken with Abe about North Korea and trade after North Korea raised doubts about the future of denuclearization dialogue with new weapons tests. In a tweet, Trump described his talk with Abe, a close ally, as a "Very good conversation!" but gave no other details.

Agree with Trump that North Korea must denuclearise: Japan PM Shinzo Abe

North Korea's commitment to the "<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-condemns-us-sanctions-warns-denuclearization-at-risk-184559">denuclearisation</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-condemns-us-sanctions-warns-denuclearization-at-risk-184559"> of the Korean peninsula</a>" also includes "completely eliminating the US&nbsp;nuclear threat to Korea," North Korean state media said on Thursday.

US President Donald Trump and <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/after-north-korea-reportedly-tests-new-high-tech-weapon-us-says-confident-kim-will-fulfill-denuclearisation-promise-177629">North Korean leader Kim Jong Un</a> issued a joint statement after their historic meeting in Singapore in June that reaffirmed the North’s commitment to "work towards complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula" and gave US guarantees of security to North Korea.

Conflicting or vague views of what exactly "denuclearisation" means, however, have complicated negotiations that now appear stalled.

Thursday's commentary, released by North Korea's state-run KCNA news agency, is one of the clearest explanations since the June summit of how Pyongyang sees denuclearisation.

"When we refer to the Korean peninsula, the term encompasses the area of DPRK plus South Korean territory where US nuclear weapons and other forms of aggression forces are deployed," the editorial said, using the initials of North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

"When we refer to the 'denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula' as well, it should be correctly understood as removing all nuclear threat factors from not only the North and the South but from all neighbouring areas."

North Korea rejects American calls for it to unilaterally denuclearise, and Washington should abandon the "delusion" of forcing Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear weapons "via pressure and oppression," the article said.

The United States has said that it will not lift sanctions on North Korea until more progress has been made toward the verifiable denuclearisation of North Korea.

Washington has also rejected any suggestion that it would reduce its military presence in the region as part of a deal with North Korea, but in a surprise move after the summit, Trump announced that the Pentagon would cancel most of its largest military exercises conducted with the South Koreans.

The exact definition of denuclearisation is likely to be raised again as Trump has said he is working to meet again with Kim sometime early next year.

"It is obvious that denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula is a joint business that cannot be achieved unless both Korea and the United States strive together," the KCNA commentary said.

"In this sense, the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula should be defined as 'completely eliminating the US nuclear threat to Korea' before it can eliminate our nuclear deterrent."

The United States deployed nuclear weapons in South Korea from 1958 to 1991. Since they were withdrawn, the United States has extended its "nuclear umbrella" of support to Japan and South Korea using bombers and submarines based elsewhere.

At a press briefing in Washington on Tuesday, US State Department spokesman Robert Palladino said he would not "split words" when asked about whether the promise of "denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula" means only North Korea or the broader region.

"We are focused on the denuclearisation of North Korea," Palladino said. "We remain confident and we look forward to the commitments that Chairman Kim and that President Trump have made."

North Korea's commitment to the "denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula" also includes "completely eliminating the US nuclear threat to Korea," North Korean state media said on Thursday.

North Korea's commitment to the "denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula" also includes "completely eliminating the US nuclear threat to Korea," North Korean state media said on Thursday. US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un issued a joint statement after their historic meeting in Singapore in June that reaffirmed the North’s commitment to "work towards complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula" and gave US guarantees of security to North Korea. Conflicting or vague views of what exactly "denuclearisation" means, however, have complicated negotiations that now appear stalled. Thursday's commentary, released by North Korea's state-run KCNA news agency, is one of the clearest explanations since the June summit of how Pyongyang sees denuclearisation. "When we refer to the Korean peninsula, the term encompasses the area of DPRK plus South Korean territory where US nuclear weapons and other forms of aggression forces are deployed," the editorial said, using the initials of North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. "When we refer to the 'denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula' as well, it should be correctly understood as removing all nuclear threat factors from not only the North and the South but from all neighbouring areas." North Korea rejects American calls for it to unilaterally denuclearise, and Washington should abandon the "delusion" of forcing Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear weapons "via pressure and oppression," the article said. The United States has said that it will not lift sanctions on North Korea until more progress has been made toward the verifiable denuclearisation of North Korea. Washington has also rejected any suggestion that it would reduce its military presence in the region as part of a deal with North Korea, but in a surprise move after the summit, Trump announced that the Pentagon would cancel most of its largest military exercises conducted with the South Koreans. The exact definition of denuclearisation is likely to be raised again as Trump has said he is working to meet again with Kim sometime early next year. "It is obvious that denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula is a joint business that cannot be achieved unless both Korea and the United States strive together," the KCNA commentary said. "In this sense, the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula should be defined as 'completely eliminating the US nuclear threat to Korea' before it can eliminate our nuclear deterrent." The United States deployed nuclear weapons in South Korea from 1958 to 1991. Since they were withdrawn, the United States has extended its "nuclear umbrella" of support to Japan and South Korea using bombers and submarines based elsewhere. At a press briefing in Washington on Tuesday, US State Department spokesman Robert Palladino said he would not "split words" when asked about whether the promise of "denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula" means only North Korea or the broader region. "We are focused on the denuclearisation of North Korea," Palladino said. "We remain confident and we look forward to the commitments that Chairman Kim and that President Trump have made."

Denuclearisation includes eliminating US nuclear threat in Korean Peninsula: North Korean state media

Donald Trump accepted an invitation from Kim Jong Un to visit North Korea during their historic summit, Pyongyang state media reported Wednesday, as the US president said the world had jumped back from the brink of "nuclear catastrophe".&nbsp;

Tuesday's unprecedented encounter in Singapore saw the leader of the world's most powerful democracy shake hands with Kim, the third generation scion of a dynastic dictatorship, as they stood as equals in front of their nations' flags.

In a characteristically bullish tweet, Trump said the first-ever summit between sitting leaders of the two Cold War foes meant "the World has taken a big step back from potential Nuclear catastrophe!"

"No more rocket launches, nuclear testing or research! The hostages are back home with their families. Thank you to Chairman Kim, our day together was historic!"

In a joint statement following the talks, Kim agreed to the "complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula" -- a stock phrase favoured by Pyongyang that stopped short of long-standing US demands for North Korea to give up its atomic arsenal in a "verifiable" and "irreversible" way.

In its first report on the landmark summit, the official KCNA news agency ran a glowing dispatch on the talks, describing them as an "epoch-making meeting" that would help foster "a radical switchover in the most hostile (North Korea)-US relations".

The report said the two men each asked the other to visit their country.

"The two top leaders gladly accepted each other's invitation," KCNA said.

It asserted that Trump had "expressed his intention" to lift sanctions against the North -- something the US president had told a blockbuster press conference would happen "when we are sure that the nukes are no longer a factor".

"The sanctions right now remain," he added.&nbsp;

With the headline: "Meeting of the century opens new history in DPRK-US relations", the North's ruling Workers Party official daily Rodong Sinmun splashed no fewer than 33 pictures across four of its usual six pages.

One of the pictures showed a smiling Kim shaking hands with Trump's hawkish National Security Advisor John Bolton, who has previously advocated military action against the North, which in turn has referred to him as "human scum."

'War games' 
Pyongyang has reason to feel confident after the meeting, a major coup for an isolated and heavily sanctioned regime that has long craved international legitimacy.

"Kim Jong Un got what he wanted at the Singapore Summit: the international prestige and respect of a one-on-one meeting with the American president, the legitimacy of North Korean flags hanging next to American flags in the background," said Paul Haenle, director of the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center.

In his post-summit press conference, Trump made the surprise announcement that the US would halt joint military exercises with its security ally Seoul -- something long sought by Pyongyang, which claims the drills are a rehearsal for invasion.

The US stations around 30,000 troops in security ally South Korea to protect it from its neighbour, which invaded in 1950 in an attempt to reunify the peninsula by force.

"We will be stopping the war games which will save us a tremendous amount of money," Trump told reporters, adding that "at some point" he wanted to withdraw US troops from the South.

Both Seoul and US military commanders in the South indicated they had no idea the announcement was coming, and in an editorial Wednesday the Korea Herald said it was "worrisome".

Smiles and handshakes 
The Singapore summit was a potentially legacy-defining meeting for both men -- comparable to president Richard Nixon's 1972 visit to China, or Ronald Reagan's 1986 summit with Mikhail Gorbachev in Reykjavik.

Only a few months ago, the pair were swapping personal insults such as "dotard" and "little rocket man" and the North conducted its six and most powerful nuclear test, as well as firing missiles over Japan.

Trump vowed to rain down "fire and fury" on Pyongyang if it threatened the US but instead in Singapore it was compliments that flowed, as the president described Kim as "talented" and said they had forged a "special bond."

After a day filled with smiles and handshakes watched around the world, the US "committed to provide security guarantees" to North Korea.

But critics charged that the summit legitimised Kim, whose regime has been accused of multiple human rights abuses, and said the summit was more about headlines than substantive progress.

Trump said the US would be checking Kim's progress towards denuclearisation "very strongly" but many agreements made in the past with North Korea have later fallen apart.

World powers from China to Japan, the European Union and Russia welcomed its outcome -- while cautioning it was only the first step towards resolving the nuclear stand-off with Pyongyang.

But some media in Japan, which North Korea has in the past threatened to "sink into the sea", were cautious.

"The real bargaining has now started between the US and North Korea. Problems that cannot be solved through a bling-bling political show remain on both sides," said the liberal Mainichi Shimbun.

Kim says denuclearisation dependent on ceasing antagonism: KCNA

Kim Jong-Un meanwhile said ridding the Korean Peninsula of nuclear weapons is dependent on Washington and Pyongyang ceasing moves that antagonise each other, the North's state media said Wednesday.

"Kim Jong Un said in order to achieve peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula and realise its denuclearisation, the two countries should commit themselves to refraining from antagonising... each other out of mutual understanding," the state-run KCNA news agency said.

Kim meanwhile said ridding the Korean Peninsula of nuclear weapons is dependent on Washington and Pyongyang ceasing moves that antagonise each other

Donald Trump accepted an invitation from Kim Jong Un to visit North Korea during their historic summit, Pyongyang state media reported Wednesday, as the US president said the world had jumped back from the brink of "nuclear catastrophe". Tuesday's unprecedented encounter in Singapore saw the leader of the world's most powerful democracy shake hands with Kim, the third generation scion of a dynastic dictatorship, as they stood as equals in front of their nations' flags. In a characteristically bullish tweet, Trump said the first-ever summit between sitting leaders of the two Cold War foes meant "the World has taken a big step back from potential Nuclear catastrophe!" "No more rocket launches, nuclear testing or research! The hostages are back home with their families. Thank you to Chairman Kim, our day together was historic!" In a joint statement following the talks, Kim agreed to the "complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula" -- a stock phrase favoured by Pyongyang that stopped short of long-standing US demands for North Korea to give up its atomic arsenal in a "verifiable" and "irreversible" way. In its first report on the landmark summit, the official KCNA news agency ran a glowing dispatch on the talks, describing them as an "epoch-making meeting" that would help foster "a radical switchover in the most hostile (North Korea)-US relations". The report said the two men each asked the other to visit their country. "The two top leaders gladly accepted each other's invitation," KCNA said. It asserted that Trump had "expressed his intention" to lift sanctions against the North -- something the US president had told a blockbuster press conference would happen "when we are sure that the nukes are no longer a factor". "The sanctions right now remain," he added. With the headline: "Meeting of the century opens new history in DPRK-US relations", the North's ruling Workers Party official daily Rodong Sinmun splashed no fewer than 33 pictures across four of its usual six pages. One of the pictures showed a smiling Kim shaking hands with Trump's hawkish National Security Advisor John Bolton, who has previously advocated military action against the North, which in turn has referred to him as "human scum." 'War games' Pyongyang has reason to feel confident after the meeting, a major coup for an isolated and heavily sanctioned regime that has long craved international legitimacy. "Kim Jong Un got what he wanted at the Singapore Summit: the international prestige and respect of a one-on-one meeting with the American president, the legitimacy of North Korean flags hanging next to American flags in the background," said Paul Haenle, director of the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center. In his post-summit press conference, Trump made the surprise announcement that the US would halt joint military exercises with its security ally Seoul -- something long sought by Pyongyang, which claims the drills are a rehearsal for invasion. The US stations around 30,000 troops in security ally South Korea to protect it from its neighbour, which invaded in 1950 in an attempt to reunify the peninsula by force. "We will be stopping the war games which will save us a tremendous amount of money," Trump told reporters, adding that "at some point" he wanted to withdraw US troops from the South. Both Seoul and US military commanders in the South indicated they had no idea the announcement was coming, and in an editorial Wednesday the Korea Herald said it was "worrisome". Smiles and handshakes The Singapore summit was a potentially legacy-defining meeting for both men -- comparable to president Richard Nixon's 1972 visit to China, or Ronald Reagan's 1986 summit with Mikhail Gorbachev in Reykjavik. Only a few months ago, the pair were swapping personal insults such as "dotard" and "little rocket man" and the North conducted its six and most powerful nuclear test, as well as firing missiles over Japan. Trump vowed to rain down "fire and fury" on Pyongyang if it threatened the US but instead in Singapore it was compliments that flowed, as the president described Kim as "talented" and said they had forged a "special bond." After a day filled with smiles and handshakes watched around the world, the US "committed to provide security guarantees" to North Korea. But critics charged that the summit legitimised Kim, whose regime has been accused of multiple human rights abuses, and said the summit was more about headlines than substantive progress. Trump said the US would be checking Kim's progress towards denuclearisation "very strongly" but many agreements made in the past with North Korea have later fallen apart. World powers from China to Japan, the European Union and Russia welcomed its outcome -- while cautioning it was only the first step towards resolving the nuclear stand-off with Pyongyang. But some media in Japan, which North Korea has in the past threatened to "sink into the sea", were cautious. "The real bargaining has now started between the US and North Korea. Problems that cannot be solved through a bling-bling political show remain on both sides," said the liberal Mainichi Shimbun. Kim says denuclearisation dependent on ceasing antagonism: KCNA Kim Jong-Un meanwhile said ridding the Korean Peninsula of nuclear weapons is dependent on Washington and Pyongyang ceasing moves that antagonise each other, the North's state media said Wednesday. "Kim Jong Un said in order to achieve peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula and realise its denuclearisation, the two countries should commit themselves to refraining from antagonising... each other out of mutual understanding," the state-run KCNA news agency said.

Summit with Kim helped avoid 'nuclear catastrophe', says Trump

China urges all parties concerned to the Korean Peninsula issue to build perseverance, maintain patience and make unremitting efforts to find a political settlement of the Peninsula issue, said Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Geng Shuang.

Geng, the spokesman, made the remarks at a regular briefing in Beijing&nbsp;on Wednesday.

The top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un and US&nbsp;President Donald Trump met in Singapore&nbsp;on Tuesday&nbsp;for a landmark summit. The two leaders signed a "comprehensive" joint statement after their summit. The United States would be committed to providing security guarantees to the DPRK in exchange for Pyongyang's commitment to complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

Geng said that a good beginning is half done.

"We think that after a long time of hostility and confrontation between the DPRK and the US, it was of great and positive historic significance for the top leaders of the two countries to sit together and have dialogue on an equal footing. The achievements reached by the two leaders are an important step toward denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, ending hostility and confrontation, and pursuing lasting peace and prosperity of the peninsula. The Korean Peninsula issue has its complexity and particularity, which cannot be resolved overnight. It requires all parties to build perseverance, maintain patience and make unremitting efforts over the Korean Peninsula issue," said Geng.

Geng said China hopes and supports the two sides to implement the consensus reached by the two leaders, promote follow-up consultations, further consolidate and expand the achievements, and make the political settlement of the Peninsula issue a sustainable and irreversible process.

"As a close neighbor of the peninsula and an important party to the issue, China stands ready to work with other relevant parties toward denuclearization and the establishment of a mechanism for peace on the Korean Peninsula, and make positive efforts and contribution to early realization of long-term peace and stability of the peninsula," said Geng.

Geng also reiterated China's stance over the sanctions that United Nations (UN) has imposed on DPRK when answering a reporter's question.

"China always believes that sanctions are not the goals. All parties should support and cooperate with the efforts of diplomatic dialogues and denuclearization, and push forward the process of political settlement of the Peninsula issue," said Geng.

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The two leaders signed a "comprehensive" joint statement after their summit

China urges all parties concerned to the Korean Peninsula issue to build perseverance, maintain patience and make unremitting efforts to find a political settlement of the Peninsula issue, said Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Geng Shuang. Geng, the spokesman, made the remarks at a regular briefing in Beijing on Wednesday. The top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump met in Singapore on Tuesday for a landmark summit. The two leaders signed a "comprehensive" joint statement after their summit. The United States would be committed to providing security guarantees to the DPRK in exchange for Pyongyang's commitment to complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Geng said that a good beginning is half done. "We think that after a long time of hostility and confrontation between the DPRK and the US, it was of great and positive historic significance for the top leaders of the two countries to sit together and have dialogue on an equal footing. The achievements reached by the two leaders are an important step toward denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, ending hostility and confrontation, and pursuing lasting peace and prosperity of the peninsula. The Korean Peninsula issue has its complexity and particularity, which cannot be resolved overnight. It requires all parties to build perseverance, maintain patience and make unremitting efforts over the Korean Peninsula issue," said Geng. Geng said China hopes and supports the two sides to implement the consensus reached by the two leaders, promote follow-up consultations, further consolidate and expand the achievements, and make the political settlement of the Peninsula issue a sustainable and irreversible process. "As a close neighbor of the peninsula and an important party to the issue, China stands ready to work with other relevant parties toward denuclearization and the establishment of a mechanism for peace on the Korean Peninsula, and make positive efforts and contribution to early realization of long-term peace and stability of the peninsula," said Geng. Geng also reiterated China's stance over the sanctions that United Nations (UN) has imposed on DPRK when answering a reporter's question. "China always believes that sanctions are not the goals. All parties should support and cooperate with the efforts of diplomatic dialogues and denuclearization, and push forward the process of political settlement of the Peninsula issue," said Geng.

China urges perseverance, patience from all parties over Korean Peninsula

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reaffirmed his commitment to "complete denuclearisation of Korean Peninsula", in a joint agreement signed with President Donald Trump Tuesday.

The text made no mention of US demands for "complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation" -- jargon for scrapping weapons and committing to inspections -- but did restate a vaguer commitment, AFP saw in a photo of the document.&nbsp

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-kim-very-smart-north-korea-to-denuclearise-very-very-quickly-143790">Trump says Kim 'very smart', North Korea to denuclearise 'very, very quickly'</a>

The text made no mention of US demands for 'complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation' — jargon for scrapping weapons and committing to inspections — but did restate a vaguer commitment

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reaffirmed his commitment to "complete denuclearisation of Korean Peninsula", in a joint agreement signed with President Donald Trump Tuesday. The text made no mention of US demands for "complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation" -- jargon for scrapping weapons and committing to inspections -- but did restate a vaguer commitment, AFP saw in a photo of the document. Also read: Trump says Kim 'very smart', North Korea to denuclearise 'very, very quickly'

Kim Jong-Un commits to 'complete denuclearisation of Korean Peninsula' in joint text

Gold&nbsp;prices remained&nbsp;locked&nbsp;just&nbsp;below&nbsp;$1,300 an ounce on Tuesday as investors waited for clues on the pace of US&nbsp;interest rate rises from a&nbsp;Federal Reserve&nbsp;meeting this week.

A&nbsp;Fed&nbsp;statement and press conference expected from 1800 GMT on Wednesday could push&nbsp;gold out of the tight range of around $1,290-$1,305 in which it has been trapped since mid-May.

Gold&nbsp;is highly sensitive to interest rates because higher rates push up bond yields, making non-yielding&nbsp;gold&nbsp;less attractive, and tend to strengthen the dollar, increasing the cost of&nbsp;gold&nbsp;for buyers using other currencies.

Investors expect the&nbsp;Fed&nbsp;to increase rates on Wednesday but will be looking for hints at future policy. A more aggressive stance on monetary tightening would hurt&nbsp;gold.

"We are waiting for the FOMC," said Saxo Bank analyst Ole Hansen, referring to the&nbsp;Fed's policy committee.

Gold&nbsp;prices have tended to fall ahead of previous rate rises but recover afterwards, he said. "We're still erring towards the potential for a move higher here."

Spot&nbsp;gold&nbsp;was down 0.1 per cent at $1,298.15 an ounce at 1021 GMT, while US gold&nbsp;futures for August delivery were 0.1 per cent lower at $1,302 an ounce.

The dollar and US&nbsp;bond yields were also largely flat.

Adding to the wait-and-see mood for&nbsp;gold&nbsp;were expectations that the European Central Bank will signal a winding down of its vast bond-buying programme at a&nbsp;meeting&nbsp;on Thursday. This would likely help&nbsp;gold&nbsp;by boosting the euro and weakening the dollar.

Japan's central bank will also meet on June 14-15.

Gold&nbsp;did not react strongly to a pledge by the leaders of the United States and North Korea to work toward complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.

The joint statement signed at the end of a summit in Singapore gave few details on how this goal would be achieved.

Gold&nbsp;is traditionally used as a safe place to invest money during times of uncertainty, and growing tensions over Korea have added to demand.

In other precious metals, silver was down 0.2 per cent at $16.86 an ounce after hitting a seven-week high of $16.95 on Monday.

Platinum was 0.2 per cent higher at $905.80 an ounce and palladium was down 0.3 per cent at $1,019 an ounce.

A Fed statement and press conference expected from 1800 GMT on Wednesday could push gold out of the tight range of around $1,290-$1,305 in which it has been trapped since mid-May

Gold prices remained locked just below $1,300 an ounce on Tuesday as investors waited for clues on the pace of US interest rate rises from a Federal Reserve meeting this week. A Fed statement and press conference expected from 1800 GMT on Wednesday could push gold out of the tight range of around $1,290-$1,305 in which it has been trapped since mid-May. Gold is highly sensitive to interest rates because higher rates push up bond yields, making non-yielding gold less attractive, and tend to strengthen the dollar, increasing the cost of gold for buyers using other currencies. Investors expect the Fed to increase rates on Wednesday but will be looking for hints at future policy. A more aggressive stance on monetary tightening would hurt gold. "We are waiting for the FOMC," said Saxo Bank analyst Ole Hansen, referring to the Fed's policy committee. Gold prices have tended to fall ahead of previous rate rises but recover afterwards, he said. "We're still erring towards the potential for a move higher here." Spot gold was down 0.1 per cent at $1,298.15 an ounce at 1021 GMT, while US gold futures for August delivery were 0.1 per cent lower at $1,302 an ounce. The dollar and US bond yields were also largely flat. Adding to the wait-and-see mood for gold were expectations that the European Central Bank will signal a winding down of its vast bond-buying programme at a meeting on Thursday. This would likely help gold by boosting the euro and weakening the dollar. Japan's central bank will also meet on June 14-15. Gold did not react strongly to a pledge by the leaders of the United States and North Korea to work toward complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. The joint statement signed at the end of a summit in Singapore gave few details on how this goal would be achieved. Gold is traditionally used as a safe place to invest money during times of uncertainty, and growing tensions over Korea have added to demand. In other precious metals, silver was down 0.2 per cent at $16.86 an ounce after hitting a seven-week high of $16.95 on Monday. Platinum was 0.2 per cent higher at $905.80 an ounce and palladium was down 0.3 per cent at $1,019 an ounce.

Gold locked below $1,300 as market braces for Federal Reserve meeting

Events around the Korean peninsula have been moving at a dizzying pace over the last few days, with a summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un that was on, then off, then apparently on again.

Here's where we stand with what could be a historic meeting.

A few months ago Kim and Trump were hurling insults and threats of war with each other.

The rhetoric began to cool during the Winter Olympics in South Korea, and by mid-March, the two sides had agreed to a face-to-face.

After some back-and-forth,&nbsp;June 12&nbsp;in Singapore was fixed on, but as May ticked over both sides began casting doubt on the meeting.

The insults started up again, with North Korea calling US Vice President Mike Pence a "dummy", and both sides threatening to walk away.

Trump abruptly pulled the plug last week, only to apparently reverse course&nbsp;24 hours later&nbsp;in the wake of Pyongyang's emollient response.

Some say Trump's sudden willingness to walk rattled Pyongyang, which has since dialled down its rhetoric and expressed a willingness to talk "at any time".

"Trump's unexpected response totally took Kim by surprise and left the North scrambling to find a way to mend things," Cho Sung-ryul, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Strategy, told AFP.&nbsp;

Others say the crisis was primarily averted by Kim and South Korea’s president Moon Jae-in, who made the extraordinary decision to meet in the Panmunjom truce village between the two Koreas.

The State Department says a team of US officials also met with North Koreans in Panmunjom&nbsp;on Sunday.

The Washington Post reported that senior diplomat Sung Kim was leading the US delegation and that the two sides planned to continue talking&nbsp;Monday&nbsp;and&nbsp;Tuesday.

The White House said on the weekend that a separate team of officials was also on its way to Singapore to lay the ground for the meeting.

Few American officials have more experience of dealing with North Koreans than Sung Kim.

The Korean-born diplomat previously served as Washington's ambassador in Seoul and was a special envoy during ultimately fruitless Six-Party Talks in the mid-2000s.

He is currently Washington's envoy to the Philippines but has been called back to his old stomping ground -- Trump has yet to nominate an ambassador to Seoul.

Given the twists and turns, and the mercurial nature of the parties involved, few Korea watchers are prepared to say with any certainty. But most observers are confident the process is back on track -- for now.

In the last 48 hours, Trump has sounded upbeat, saying the&nbsp;June 12&nbsp;meeting will still go ahead, or that it could happen at a later date if more time is needed.

Usually, this kind of summits are planned months, sometimes years in advance.

Now officials have only a fortnight left to finalise thorny protocol details such as where in Singapore the talks will take place and how internationally sanctioned North Korean officials will travel there.

Importantly, they'll also have to decide what exactly the two men are going to talk about.

In a word, denuclearisation.

Both sides say they want it, but there is a yawning gulf between their definitions.

Washington says it wants to see the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation (CVID) of North Korea in return for sanctions and economic relief.

Trump wants to see CVID take place immediately -- although he has recently conceded a phased approach could be discussed.

Moon says Kim is also committed to the "complete" denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula.

But when asked if that meant the same as CVID, he told reporters that was something for Pyongyang and Washington to discuss.

Analysts believe North Korea will be unwilling to cede its nuclear deterrent unless it is given security guarantees that the US won't try to topple the regime.

That may mean they will look for confidence-building measures such as a reduction in US troops in South Korea or joint military drills.

Kim Sung-han, professor of international relations at Korea University, said Trump will have difficulty accepting any conditions from North Korea, partly because he had been so critical of the Iran nuclear deal.&nbsp;

"If he believes that it would be hard to include CVID or any specific terms to mandate the North to carry out nuclear disarmament quickly, he may cancel the summit again, even days before the event," he said.

After some back-and-forth, June 12 in Singapore was fixed on, but as May ticked over both sides began casting doubt on the meeting

Events around the Korean peninsula have been moving at a dizzying pace over the last few days, with a summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un that was on, then off, then apparently on again. Here's where we stand with what could be a historic meeting. A few months ago Kim and Trump were hurling insults and threats of war with each other. The rhetoric began to cool during the Winter Olympics in South Korea, and by mid-March, the two sides had agreed to a face-to-face. After some back-and-forth, June 12 in Singapore was fixed on, but as May ticked over both sides began casting doubt on the meeting. The insults started up again, with North Korea calling US Vice President Mike Pence a "dummy", and both sides threatening to walk away. Trump abruptly pulled the plug last week, only to apparently reverse course 24 hours later in the wake of Pyongyang's emollient response. Some say Trump's sudden willingness to walk rattled Pyongyang, which has since dialled down its rhetoric and expressed a willingness to talk "at any time". "Trump's unexpected response totally took Kim by surprise and left the North scrambling to find a way to mend things," Cho Sung-ryul, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Strategy, told AFP. Others say the crisis was primarily averted by Kim and South Korea’s president Moon Jae-in, who made the extraordinary decision to meet in the Panmunjom truce village between the two Koreas. The State Department says a team of US officials also met with North Koreans in Panmunjom on Sunday. The Washington Post reported that senior diplomat Sung Kim was leading the US delegation and that the two sides planned to continue talking Monday and Tuesday. The White House said on the weekend that a separate team of officials was also on its way to Singapore to lay the ground for the meeting. Few American officials have more experience of dealing with North Koreans than Sung Kim. The Korean-born diplomat previously served as Washington's ambassador in Seoul and was a special envoy during ultimately fruitless Six-Party Talks in the mid-2000s. He is currently Washington's envoy to the Philippines but has been called back to his old stomping ground -- Trump has yet to nominate an ambassador to Seoul. Given the twists and turns, and the mercurial nature of the parties involved, few Korea watchers are prepared to say with any certainty. But most observers are confident the process is back on track -- for now. In the last 48 hours, Trump has sounded upbeat, saying the June 12 meeting will still go ahead, or that it could happen at a later date if more time is needed. Usually, this kind of summits are planned months, sometimes years in advance. Now officials have only a fortnight left to finalise thorny protocol details such as where in Singapore the talks will take place and how internationally sanctioned North Korean officials will travel there. Importantly, they'll also have to decide what exactly the two men are going to talk about. In a word, denuclearisation. Both sides say they want it, but there is a yawning gulf between their definitions. Washington says it wants to see the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation (CVID) of North Korea in return for sanctions and economic relief. Trump wants to see CVID take place immediately -- although he has recently conceded a phased approach could be discussed. Moon says Kim is also committed to the "complete" denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula. But when asked if that meant the same as CVID, he told reporters that was something for Pyongyang and Washington to discuss. Analysts believe North Korea will be unwilling to cede its nuclear deterrent unless it is given security guarantees that the US won't try to topple the regime. That may mean they will look for confidence-building measures such as a reduction in US troops in South Korea or joint military drills. Kim Sung-han, professor of international relations at Korea University, said Trump will have difficulty accepting any conditions from North Korea, partly because he had been so critical of the Iran nuclear deal. "If he believes that it would be hard to include CVID or any specific terms to mandate the North to carry out nuclear disarmament quickly, he may cancel the summit again, even days before the event," he said.

Diplomatic duels: What now for the Trump-Kim summit?

The United States is committed to achieving denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula and creating conditions such that the North Korean regime no longer threatens the world, news agency PTI reported quoting Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said.

Pompeo made the comments after attending a White House meeting between President Donald Trump and the visiting South Korean President Moon Jae-in yesterday.

"We are committed to achieving denuclearisation and creating conditions such that the North Korean regime no longer threatens the world," PTI quoted Pompeo as saying to the reporters&nbsp

The State Department and the White House, he said, were continuing to prepare for the meeting between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, so that in the event that the summit takes place on scheduled date, the administration is fully prepared.

Trump and Kim are scheduled to meet in Singapore on June 12. However, North Korea has threatened to cancel the meeting over a joint US-South Korea military exercise. The US has said it is going ahead with the preparation.

Pompeo said the mission statement had not changed at all.

"Will do what it takes to make sure that this is a successful meeting, whether that's meeting with the North Koreans in some third country or whatever it may take. We are prepared," Pompeo said in response to a question.

"The President will ask us to ensure that we've done all we can to make sure that we have the real opportunity to have this historic successful outcome," he said.

Exuding confidence that the meeting would indeed take place, Pompeo, who is the only US leader to have met Kim twice in the last one month, said the US was continuing to do its work and lay the foundation for a successful meeting.

"With respect to Chairman Kim, I haven't spoken publicly about the conversations we've had they were between he and I," Pompeo said.

"But I do have a real sense that he would find American investment, American technology, American know-how of real value to his people, and it's something that he and I had a chance to speak about generally," he said.

Pompeo said if the meeting takes place and North Korea promises denuclearisation, then America would be "quite capable of delivering them with lots of things that would make life better for the North Korean people".

Responding to a question, Pompeo said nothing has given them pause for the summit.

"Chairman Kim asked for this meeting. President Trump agreed to undertake it. We worked to find a date and location. We got those set. And since then, we're driving on," he said.

Pompeo made the comments after attending a White House meeting between President Donald Trump and the visiting South Korean President Moon Jae-in yesterday.

The United States is committed to achieving denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula and creating conditions such that the North Korean regime no longer threatens the world, news agency PTI reported quoting Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said. Pompeo made the comments after attending a White House meeting between President Donald Trump and the visiting South Korean President Moon Jae-in yesterday. "We are committed to achieving denuclearisation and creating conditions such that the North Korean regime no longer threatens the world," PTI quoted Pompeo as saying to the reporters The State Department and the White House, he said, were continuing to prepare for the meeting between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, so that in the event that the summit takes place on scheduled date, the administration is fully prepared. Trump and Kim are scheduled to meet in Singapore on June 12. However, North Korea has threatened to cancel the meeting over a joint US-South Korea military exercise. The US has said it is going ahead with the preparation. Pompeo said the mission statement had not changed at all. "Will do what it takes to make sure that this is a successful meeting, whether that's meeting with the North Koreans in some third country or whatever it may take. We are prepared," Pompeo said in response to a question. "The President will ask us to ensure that we've done all we can to make sure that we have the real opportunity to have this historic successful outcome," he said. Exuding confidence that the meeting would indeed take place, Pompeo, who is the only US leader to have met Kim twice in the last one month, said the US was continuing to do its work and lay the foundation for a successful meeting. "With respect to Chairman Kim, I haven't spoken publicly about the conversations we've had they were between he and I," Pompeo said. "But I do have a real sense that he would find American investment, American technology, American know-how of real value to his people, and it's something that he and I had a chance to speak about generally," he said. Pompeo said if the meeting takes place and North Korea promises denuclearisation, then America would be "quite capable of delivering them with lots of things that would make life better for the North Korean people". Responding to a question, Pompeo said nothing has given them pause for the summit. "Chairman Kim asked for this meeting. President Trump agreed to undertake it. We worked to find a date and location. We got those set. And since then, we're driving on," he said.

US committed to achieving denuclearisation of Korean Peninsula: US Secretary of State

After making high-profile <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/south-korea-offers-to-mediate-to-clear-doubts-over-north-korea-us-summit-137708">peace overtures towards South Korea</a> and amid a peace summit with Trump next month, North Korea's minister again lashed out at its "ignorant" neighbour in the south denouncing it as "incompetent".

Ri Son Gwon, chairman of North <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-threatens-to-cancel-us-summit-137331">Korea's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification</a>, criticised the South for conducting joint military drills once again with the US after earlier warnings to pull out of talks with Trump in Singapore next month.

"Unless the serious situation which led to the suspension of the north-south high-level talks is settled, it will never be easy to sit face to face again with the present regime of South Korea," North's KCNA news agency said in a statement.

North Korea had said earlier that it might not attend the June 12 summit with Trump and South Korean president&nbspMoon&nbspif the military drills do not stop and the US on its part continues to prod&nbspit to dismantle its nuclear arsenal.

"On this opportunity, the present South Korean authorities have been clearly proven to be an ignorant and incompetent group devoid of the elementary sense of the present situation," Ri's statement said.

Despite this, the US said it continues to prepare for next month's summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.&nbsp

Heather Nauert, State Department spokeswoman, said: "we will continue to go ahead and plan the meeting between president Trump and Kim Jong-Un."

Meanwhile, Trump will host South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the White House next week with efforts underway by both countries to bring Kim to the negotiating&nbsptable in order to help "denuclearise" the Korean peninsula.

However, North Korea's current mood has made several experts sceptical. Kim's regime is especially against US-South Korean "Max Thunder" air combat drills. The exercise reportedly involves US stealth fighters, B-52 bombers and "nuclear assets".

<iframe allow="autoplay encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XDl_nA-tvp0" width="560"></iframe>

Trump will host South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the White House next week with efforts underway by both countries to bring Kim to the table

After making high-profile peace overtures towards South Korea and amid a peace summit with Trump next month, North Korea's minister again lashed out at its "ignorant" neighbour in the south denouncing it as "incompetent". Ri Son Gwon, chairman of North Korea's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification, criticised the South for conducting joint military drills once again with the US after earlier warnings to pull out of talks with Trump in Singapore next month. "Unless the serious situation which led to the suspension of the north-south high-level talks is settled, it will never be easy to sit face to face again with the present regime of South Korea," North's KCNA news agency said in a statement. North Korea had said earlier that it might not attend the June 12 summit with Trump and South Korean president&nbspMoon&nbspif the military drills do not stop and the US on its part continues to prod&nbspit to dismantle its nuclear arsenal. "On this opportunity, the present South Korean authorities have been clearly proven to be an ignorant and incompetent group devoid of the elementary sense of the present situation," Ri's statement said. Despite this, the US said it continues to prepare for next month's summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Heather Nauert, State Department spokeswoman, said: "we will continue to go ahead and plan the meeting between president Trump and Kim Jong-Un." Meanwhile, Trump will host South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the White House next week with efforts underway by both countries to bring Kim to the negotiating&nbsptable in order to help "denuclearise" the Korean peninsula. However, North Korea's current mood has made several experts sceptical. Kim's regime is especially against US-South Korean "Max Thunder" air combat drills. The exercise reportedly involves US stealth fighters, B-52 bombers and "nuclear assets".

North Korea again lashes out at 'incompetent' South Korea over military drills with US

US President Donald Trump on Saturday informed about his conversation with his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe regarding the recent development on the Korean Peninsula.

The historic meeting between Moon and North Korean leaders Kim Jong-Un on Friday culminated in a mutual promise to promote peace on the Korean peninsula and take immediate measures to initiate denuclearisation.&nbsp;

Trump took to Twitter saying that he had a "very good talk" with President Moon. He also noted that the time and the location for his upcoming meeting with Kim Jon-Un have also been decided.&nbsp;

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Just had a long and very good talk with President Moon of South Korea. Things are going very well, time and location of meeting with North Korea is being set. Also spoke to Prime Minister Abe of Japan to inform him of the ongoing negotiations.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/990225456233316354?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
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"Just had a long and very good talk with President Moon of South Korea. Things are going very well, time and location of meeting with North Korea are being set. Also spoke to Prime Minister Abe of Japan to inform him of the ongoing negotiations," read Trump's tweet.

US President Donald Trump had a busy week meeting French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.&nbsp;

In a press conference with Merkel on Friday, Trump noted having a "very good working relationship" with Kim Jong-Un and that he thinks that "some very good things can happen" with North Korea.&nbsp;

Trump is expected to meet the North Korean leader in May-June.&nbsp;

Trump is expected to meet the North Korean leader in May-June

US President Donald Trump on Saturday informed about his conversation with his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe regarding the recent development on the Korean Peninsula. The historic meeting between Moon and North Korean leaders Kim Jong-Un on Friday culminated in a mutual promise to promote peace on the Korean peninsula and take immediate measures to initiate denuclearisation. Trump took to Twitter saying that he had a "very good talk" with President Moon. He also noted that the time and the location for his upcoming meeting with Kim Jon-Un have also been decided. Just had a long and very good talk with President Moon of South Korea. Things are going very well, time and location of meeting with North Korea is being set. Also spoke to Prime Minister Abe of Japan to inform him of the ongoing negotiations. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 28, 2018 × "Just had a long and very good talk with President Moon of South Korea. Things are going very well, time and location of meeting with North Korea are being set. Also spoke to Prime Minister Abe of Japan to inform him of the ongoing negotiations," read Trump's tweet. US President Donald Trump had a busy week meeting French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. In a press conference with Merkel on Friday, Trump noted having a "very good working relationship" with Kim Jong-Un and that he thinks that "some very good things can happen" with North Korea. Trump is expected to meet the North Korean leader in May-June.

Trump has 'very good talk' with Moon, Abe over Korean Peninsula

US President Donald Trump on Friday hoped that the Korean peninsula will witness peace someday. As Trump spoke to US athletes who participated in the Winter Olympics in South Korea he expressed hope that both sides "can someday live in harmony, prosperity and peace".

"It looks like it could happen," he added. "When I began, people were saying that was an impossibility. They said there were two alternatives: Let them have what they have or go to war. And now we have a much better alternative than anybody thought even possible."

Donald Trump also said that he would be meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un in May or June with an aim to denuclearize the Korean peninsula.&nbsp

On Friday, Donald Trump took to Twitter and welcomed the historic meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in.&nbsp

In a pair of tweets, Trump appeared optimistic that a summit would be fruitful as he eyed his own meeting with Kim, expected in the coming weeks.

"KOREAN WAR TO END! The United States and all of its GREAT people should be very proud of what is now taking place in Korea!" Trump said on Twitter.

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KOREAN WAR TO END! The United States, and all of its GREAT people, should be very proud of what is now taking place in Korea!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/989820401596366849?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
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"Good things are happening, but only time will tell!" he added.

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After a furious year of missile launches and Nuclear testing, a historic meeting between North and South Korea is now taking place. Good things are happening, but only time will tell!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/989816772713906177?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Kim and Moon earlier Friday pledged to work toward the "complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula," and seek to declare an official end to the 1950s Korean War and establish a permanent peace agreement.

(With inputs from Reuters)&nbsp

Donald Trump also said that he would be meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un in May or June

US President Donald Trump on Friday hoped that the Korean peninsula will witness peace someday. As Trump spoke to US athletes who participated in the Winter Olympics in South Korea he expressed hope that both sides "can someday live in harmony, prosperity and peace". "It looks like it could happen," he added. "When I began, people were saying that was an impossibility. They said there were two alternatives: Let them have what they have or go to war. And now we have a much better alternative than anybody thought even possible." Donald Trump also said that he would be meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un in May or June with an aim to denuclearize the Korean peninsula. On Friday, Donald Trump took to Twitter and welcomed the historic meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in. In a pair of tweets, Trump appeared optimistic that a summit would be fruitful as he eyed his own meeting with Kim, expected in the coming weeks. "KOREAN WAR TO END! The United States and all of its GREAT people should be very proud of what is now taking place in Korea!" Trump said on Twitter. KOREAN WAR TO END! The United States, and all of its GREAT people, should be very proud of what is now taking place in Korea! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 27, 2018 × "Good things are happening, but only time will tell!" he added. After a furious year of missile launches and Nuclear testing, a historic meeting between North and South Korea is now taking place. Good things are happening, but only time will tell! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 27, 2018 × Kim and Moon earlier Friday pledged to work toward the "complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula," and seek to declare an official end to the 1950s Korean War and establish a permanent peace agreement. (With inputs from Reuters)

'Looks like it could happen': Trump hopes for peace on Korean peninsula

Friday's historic pledge by the leaders of the two Koreas to work to denuclearize the Korean peninsula should give US&nbsp;President Donald Trump a stronger hand to renegotiate the treaty curtailing Iran's nuclear program, Israel's intelligence minister said.

Yisrael Katz, who runs both the Intelligence and Transportation ministries, spoke in a Reuters interview after North Korea's Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in agreed to work for a "complete denuclearization" of the peninsula at a summit meeting in Seoul.

Such a development, should it come to fruition, could have a larger impact of minimizing the threat of a nuclear arms race in the Middle East, Katz said.

The 2015 Iran Nuclear agreement, which Israel's government vehemently opposed, is in danger of unravelling should US&nbsp;President Donald Trump decide by May 12 to restore US economic sanctions against Iran.

Trump has called the accord the worst deal ever negotiated and threatened to reimpose the US penalties unless Britain, France and Germany can fix its "flaws." The deal lifted economic sanctions on Iran in return for curbing its nuclear programme.

"He (Trump) will have more power against Iran now and maybe to convince the European Union not to be the weak link in the coalition," Katz said.

"I think it will be very good if the North Koreans will finish and go out of the nuclear business and capabilities. It will also be good to our region, because there is a connection," he said.

Katz said the connection between Iran and North Korea pertains to missile technology.

"Yes, I think there is cooperation as it belongs to developing the ballistic missiles. And we have the evidence," he said.&nbsp;

"We have a lot of evidence," Katz added, shrugging his shoulders without elaborating.

Russia, China, Germany, Britain and France, which all struck the accord with Iran and the United States, see the deal as the best way to stop Iran from developing a nuclear bomb.

During his state visit earlier this week with Trump in Washington, French President Emmanuel Macron called for the US&nbsp;not to abandon the deal and said a new package of terms was being prepared with Britain and Germany.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel held a one-day working visit with Trump on Friday, where she was careful to praise Trump's progress on North Korea.

"I think that now we have to be very tough with Iran," said Katz, who wants to succeed Netanyahu as Israel's next prime minister.&nbsp;

Regional conflicts

While Iran's nuclear capabilities are curtailed for the time being, Katz reiterated that Israel would remain vigilant in seeking to curb Tehran's increased activities in Syria.

On April 9, an air strike killed seven Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps members at a Syrian base. Tehran blamed Israel and vowed unspecified retaliation, drawing Israeli counter-threats to broaden attacks on Iranian military assets in Syria.

The Israelis have said their strikes aim to prevent Iran’s garrison in Syria from entrenching itself deeper in support of President Bashar al-Assad and linking with Hezbollah in Lebanon to form a broad front against them.

"Iranians don't have to be in Syria. It is not to say we are going to attack every Iranian soldier in Syria, but bases, military bases, and munitions bases, and sophisticated missiles and other things like that? Yes," he said.

Russia, a key ally of Assad, has said it would provide advanced weapons to Syria. Israel is concerned that might include the S-300 surface-to-air missile system, which military analysts say would improve Russia's ability to control air space in Syria.

"They are talking about to supply advanced missiles, but they didn't say the words S-300," Katz said.

"Personally, it is hard for me to believe that Putin will give them the S-300," he said. "Because this is his main card that he is holding now in the discussions with Israel ... If he will give them the S-300, about what can he talk about with us afterward?"

The 2015 Iran Nuclear agreement, which Israel's government vehemently opposed, is in danger of unravelling should Trump decide by May 12 to restore US economic sanctions against Iran

Friday's historic pledge by the leaders of the two Koreas to work to denuclearize the Korean peninsula should give US President Donald Trump a stronger hand to renegotiate the treaty curtailing Iran's nuclear program, Israel's intelligence minister said. Yisrael Katz, who runs both the Intelligence and Transportation ministries, spoke in a Reuters interview after North Korea's Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in agreed to work for a "complete denuclearization" of the peninsula at a summit meeting in Seoul. Such a development, should it come to fruition, could have a larger impact of minimizing the threat of a nuclear arms race in the Middle East, Katz said. The 2015 Iran Nuclear agreement, which Israel's government vehemently opposed, is in danger of unravelling should US President Donald Trump decide by May 12 to restore US economic sanctions against Iran. Trump has called the accord the worst deal ever negotiated and threatened to reimpose the US penalties unless Britain, France and Germany can fix its "flaws." The deal lifted economic sanctions on Iran in return for curbing its nuclear programme. "He (Trump) will have more power against Iran now and maybe to convince the European Union not to be the weak link in the coalition," Katz said. "I think it will be very good if the North Koreans will finish and go out of the nuclear business and capabilities. It will also be good to our region, because there is a connection," he said. Katz said the connection between Iran and North Korea pertains to missile technology. "Yes, I think there is cooperation as it belongs to developing the ballistic missiles. And we have the evidence," he said. "We have a lot of evidence," Katz added, shrugging his shoulders without elaborating. Russia, China, Germany, Britain and France, which all struck the accord with Iran and the United States, see the deal as the best way to stop Iran from developing a nuclear bomb. During his state visit earlier this week with Trump in Washington, French President Emmanuel Macron called for the US not to abandon the deal and said a new package of terms was being prepared with Britain and Germany. German Chancellor Angela Merkel held a one-day working visit with Trump on Friday, where she was careful to praise Trump's progress on North Korea. "I think that now we have to be very tough with Iran," said Katz, who wants to succeed Netanyahu as Israel's next prime minister. Regional conflicts While Iran's nuclear capabilities are curtailed for the time being, Katz reiterated that Israel would remain vigilant in seeking to curb Tehran's increased activities in Syria. On April 9, an air strike killed seven Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps members at a Syrian base. Tehran blamed Israel and vowed unspecified retaliation, drawing Israeli counter-threats to broaden attacks on Iranian military assets in Syria. The Israelis have said their strikes aim to prevent Iran’s garrison in Syria from entrenching itself deeper in support of President Bashar al-Assad and linking with Hezbollah in Lebanon to form a broad front against them. "Iranians don't have to be in Syria. It is not to say we are going to attack every Iranian soldier in Syria, but bases, military bases, and munitions bases, and sophisticated missiles and other things like that? Yes," he said. Russia, a key ally of Assad, has said it would provide advanced weapons to Syria. Israel is concerned that might include the S-300 surface-to-air missile system, which military analysts say would improve Russia's ability to control air space in Syria. "They are talking about to supply advanced missiles, but they didn't say the words S-300," Katz said. "Personally, it is hard for me to believe that Putin will give them the S-300," he said. "Because this is his main card that he is holding now in the discussions with Israel ... If he will give them the S-300, about what can he talk about with us afterward?"

Israel says 'denuclearized' Korean peninsula helpful versus Iran

World stocks rose on Friday, lifted by strong share price gains for tech giants such as Amazon and Facebook and growing hopes of a lasting peace on the Korean peninsula after a ground-breaking meeting of North and South Korean leaders.

European shares were set to end the week with a flourish too with a pan-European index set to post its fifth week of gains in a row, with the tech sector outperforming.

The latest gains are being partly spurred by forecast-beating first-quarter earnings from two of the so-called FANG tech stocks -- some of the world's largest and most influential companies by market capitalisation -- which has boosted sentiment on the technology sector worldwide.

Still, US&nbspstock futures pointed to a weaker open for Wall Street after Thursday's earnings-driven rally.

Amazon.com Inc shares jumped more than 6 per cent in after-market trading while Facebook surged 9.1 per cent on Thursday, calming worries about the fallout from its use of consumer data.

"Macroeconomic data has been soft in a number of key economies, so it is reassuring that amidst those concerns we are still seeing strong earnings numbers coming through from big ticket corporates such as Amazon and Facebook," said Investec economist Victoria Clarke.

"This is a good gauge of the broad drivers of sentiment particularly when there are those concerns about demand holding up in the face of weak economic data," Clarke added.

European tech shares rose 1 per cent to the highest in more than five weeks, buoyed also by gains in local IT and chipmaking firms such as Capgemini, ASML and Infineon.

Sterling slides

Sterling slumped to its lowest since March 9 against the dollar after data showed Britain's economy slowed much more sharply than expected in the first quarter of 2018, slashing market expectations of a Bank of England rate hike in May.

The currency was last down 1 per cent at $1.3770. It also fell 1 per cent against the euro to 87.85 pence and was on track for its worst day since November.

"A May rate hike is off the table now this pushes the hike back to August at the earliest and more likely November," said Jake Trask, a currencies analyst at OFX.

However, sterling's slide helped shares on Britain's FTSE index to rise 0.7 per cent with gains led by multi-national earners which earn a big chunk of their revenues overseas but report profits in pounds.

The weak data adds to concerns that economic growth across the developed world is running out of steam, especially after lacklustre euro zone figures earlier in the week and data on Friday showing French economic growth slowed more than expected in the first quarter.

The European Central Bank on Thursday played down concerns over softness in the euro zone economy as it sought to bolster expectations for a gradual withdrawal of monetary stimulus.

On Friday, Japan's central bank kept policy unchanged but ditched a time frame it had set for hitting its inflation target, in a surprise move analysts say is aimed at keeping market expectations for more stimulus in check.

"Within a 12 hour period it seems like the expectations are three key central banks will delay any tightening of monetary policy from what was previously expected... Equity markets should be comforted by that," said Bob Michele, CIO and head of global fixed income, currency and commodities at JPMorgan Asset Management.

Historic moment for Korea

South Korea's won led a rebound in emerging market currencies as comments from North Korea's Kim Jong Un of a "new history" between the two sides helped end a brutal week for emerging market currencies on a positive note.

North and South Korea agreed on Friday to pursue the "complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula" and work towards declaring an official end this year to the 1950s Korean war.

The won rose as much as 0.6 per cent against the dollar, while Asian stock markets also revelled in the glow of the summit between North and South Korea.

Seoul shares briefly rise more than 1 per cent to a one-month high, while MSCI's index of Asian shares outside Japan rallied 0.8 per cent and Japan's Nikkei share average rose 0.7 percent to two-month peaks.

The dollar meanwhile hit its highest since Jan. 12 against a basket of currencies, having benefited from the recent run in US&nbspTreasury yields -- 10-year yields hit 3 per cent this week for the first time since January 2014.

With a weekly gain of more than 1.5 per cent, the greenback is set for its best weekly performance since late 2016.

European shares were set to end the week with a flourish too with a pan-European index set to post its fifth week of gains in a row, with the tech sector outperforming

World stocks rose on Friday, lifted by strong share price gains for tech giants such as Amazon and Facebook and growing hopes of a lasting peace on the Korean peninsula after a ground-breaking meeting of North and South Korean leaders. European shares were set to end the week with a flourish too with a pan-European index set to post its fifth week of gains in a row, with the tech sector outperforming. The latest gains are being partly spurred by forecast-beating first-quarter earnings from two of the so-called FANG tech stocks -- some of the world's largest and most influential companies by market capitalisation -- which has boosted sentiment on the technology sector worldwide. Still, US&nbspstock futures pointed to a weaker open for Wall Street after Thursday's earnings-driven rally. Amazon.com Inc shares jumped more than 6 per cent in after-market trading while Facebook surged 9.1 per cent on Thursday, calming worries about the fallout from its use of consumer data. "Macroeconomic data has been soft in a number of key economies, so it is reassuring that amidst those concerns we are still seeing strong earnings numbers coming through from big ticket corporates such as Amazon and Facebook," said Investec economist Victoria Clarke. "This is a good gauge of the broad drivers of sentiment particularly when there are those concerns about demand holding up in the face of weak economic data," Clarke added. European tech shares rose 1 per cent to the highest in more than five weeks, buoyed also by gains in local IT and chipmaking firms such as Capgemini, ASML and Infineon. Sterling slides Sterling slumped to its lowest since March 9 against the dollar after data showed Britain's economy slowed much more sharply than expected in the first quarter of 2018, slashing market expectations of a Bank of England rate hike in May. The currency was last down 1 per cent at $1.3770. It also fell 1 per cent against the euro to 87.85 pence and was on track for its worst day since November. "A May rate hike is off the table now this pushes the hike back to August at the earliest and more likely November," said Jake Trask, a currencies analyst at OFX. However, sterling's slide helped shares on Britain's FTSE index to rise 0.7 per cent with gains led by multi-national earners which earn a big chunk of their revenues overseas but report profits in pounds. The weak data adds to concerns that economic growth across the developed world is running out of steam, especially after lacklustre euro zone figures earlier in the week and data on Friday showing French economic growth slowed more than expected in the first quarter. The European Central Bank on Thursday played down concerns over softness in the euro zone economy as it sought to bolster expectations for a gradual withdrawal of monetary stimulus. On Friday, Japan's central bank kept policy unchanged but ditched a time frame it had set for hitting its inflation target, in a surprise move analysts say is aimed at keeping market expectations for more stimulus in check. "Within a 12 hour period it seems like the expectations are three key central banks will delay any tightening of monetary policy from what was previously expected... Equity markets should be comforted by that," said Bob Michele, CIO and head of global fixed income, currency and commodities at JPMorgan Asset Management. Historic moment for Korea South Korea's won led a rebound in emerging market currencies as comments from North Korea's Kim Jong Un of a "new history" between the two sides helped end a brutal week for emerging market currencies on a positive note. North and South Korea agreed on Friday to pursue the "complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula" and work towards declaring an official end this year to the 1950s Korean war. The won rose as much as 0.6 per cent against the dollar, while Asian stock markets also revelled in the glow of the summit between North and South Korea. Seoul shares briefly rise more than 1 per cent to a one-month high, while MSCI's index of Asian shares outside Japan rallied 0.8 per cent and Japan's Nikkei share average rose 0.7 percent to two-month peaks. The dollar meanwhile hit its highest since Jan. 12 against a basket of currencies, having benefited from the recent run in US&nbspTreasury yields -- 10-year yields hit 3 per cent this week for the first time since January 2014. With a weekly gain of more than 1.5 per cent, the greenback is set for its best weekly performance since late 2016.

Tech gains, Korean talks lift world stock markets; sterling tumbles 

Below is the full joint statement by North and South Korea released by the South Korean presidential office on Friday after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in pledged to work for the "complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula". It punctuated a day of smiles and handshakes at the first inter-Korean summit in more than a decade.

During this momentous period of historical transformation on the Korean Peninsula, reflecting the enduring aspiration of the Korean people for peace, prosperity and unification, President Moon Jae-in of the Republic of Korea and Chairman Kim Jong Un of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea held an Inter-Korean Summit Meeting at the ‘Peace House’ at Panmunjom on April 27, 2018.

The two leaders solemnly declared before the 80 million Korean people and the whole world that there will be no more war on the Korean Peninsula and thus a new era of peace has begun.

The two leaders, sharing the firm commitment to bring a swift a swift end to the Cold War relic of longstanding division and confrontation, to boldly approach a new era of national reconciliation, peace and prosperity, and to improve and cultivate inter-Korean relations in a more active manner, declared at this historic site of Panmunjom as follows:

1. South and North Korea will reconnect the blood relations of the people and bring forward the future of co-prosperity and unification led by Koreans by facilitating comprehensive and groundbreaking advancement in inter-Korean relations. Improving and cultivating inter-Korean relations is the prevalent desire of the whole nation and the urgent calling of the times that cannot be held back any further.

1) South and North Korea affirmed the principle of determining the destiny of the Korean nation on their own accord and agreed to bring forth the watershed moment for the improvement of inter-Korean relations by fully implementing all existing agreements and declarations adopted between the two sides thus far.

2) South and North Korea agreed to hold dialogue and negotiations in various fields including at high level, and to take active measures for the implementation of the agreements reached at the Summit.

3) South and North Korea agreed to establish a joint liaison office with resident representatives of both sides in the Gaeseong region in order to facilitate close consultation between the authorities as well as smooth exchanges and cooperation between the peoples.

4) South and North Korea agreed to encourage more active cooperation, exchanges, visits and contacts at all levels in order to rejuvenate the sense of national reconciliation and unity. Between South and North, the two sides will encourage the atmosphere of amity and cooperation by actively staging various joint events on the dates that hold special meaning for both South and North Korea, such as June 15, in which participants from all levels, including central and local governments, parliaments, political parties, and civil organizations, will be involved. On the international front, the two sides agreed to demonstrate their collective wisdom, talents, and solidarity by jointly participating in international sports events such as the 2018 Asian Games.

5) South and North Korea agreed to endeavor to swiftly resolve the humanitarian issues that resulted from the division of the nation, and to convene the Inter-Korean Red Cross Meeting to discuss and solve various issues including the reunion of separated families. In this vein, South and North Korea agreed to proceed with reunion programs for the separated families on the occasion of the National Liberation Day of August 15 this year.

6) South and North Korea agreed to actively implement the projects previously agreed in the 2007 October 4 Declaration, in order to promote balanced economic growth and co-prosperity of the nation. As a first step, the two sides agreed to adopt practical steps towards the connection and modernization of the railways and roads on the eastern transportation corridor as well as between Seoul and Sinuiju for their utilization.

2. South and North Korea will make joint efforts to alleviate the acute military tension and practically eliminate the danger of war on the Korean Peninsula.

1) South and North Korea agreed to completely cease all hostile acts against each other in every domain, including land, air and sea, that are the source of military tension and conflict. In this vein, the two sides agreed to transform the demilitarized zone into a peace zone in a genuine sense by ceasing as of May 2 this year all hostile acts and eliminating their means, including broadcasting through loudspeakers and distribution of leaflets, in the areas along the Military Demarcation Line.

2) South and North Korea agreed to devise a practical scheme to turn the areas around the Northern Limit Line in the West Sea into a maritime peace zone in order to prevent accidental military clashes and guarantee safe fishing activities.

3) South and North Korea agreed to take various military measures to ensure active mutual cooperation, exchanges, visits and contacts. The two sides agreed to hold frequent meetings between military authorities, including the defense Ministers Meeting, in order to immediately discuss and solve military issues that arise between them. In this regard, the two sides agreed to first convene military talks at the rank of general in May.

3. South and North Korea will actively cooperate to establish a permanent and solid peace regime on the Korean Peninsula. Bringing an end to the current unnatural state of armistice and establishing a robust peace regime on the Korean Peninsula is a historical mission that must not be delayed any further.

1) South and North Korea reaffirmed the Non-Aggression Agreement that precludes the use of force in any form against each other, and agreed to strictly adhere to this Agreement.

2) South and North Korea agreed to carry out disarmament in a phased manner, as military tension is alleviated and substantial progress is made in military confidence-building.

3) During this year that marks the 65th anniversary of the Armistice, South and North Korea agreed to actively pursue trilateral meetings involving the two Koreas and the United States, or quadrilateral meetings involving the two Koreas, the United States and China with a view to declaring an end to the war and establishing a permanent and solid peace regime.

4) South and North Korea confirmed the common goal of realizing, through complete denuclearisation, a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula. South and North Korea shared the view that the measures being initiated by North Korea are very meaningful and crucial for the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and agreed to carry out their respective roles and responsibilities in this regard. South and North Korea agreed to actively seek the support and cooperation of the international community for the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula.

The two leaders agreed, through regular meetings and direct telephone conversations, to hold frequent and candid discussions on issues vital to the nation, to strengthen mutual trust and to jointly endeavor to strengthen the positive momentum towards continuous advancement of inter-Korean relations as well as peace, prosperity and unification of the Korean Peninsula.

In this context, President Moon Jae-in agreed to visit Pyongyang this fall.

April 27, 2018

Done in Panmunjom

Moon Jae-in

President

Republic of Korea

Kim Jong Un

Chairman

State Affairs Commission

Democratic People's

Republic of Korea

The two leaders solemnly declared before the 80 million Korean people and the whole world that there will be no more war on the Korean Peninsula and thus a new era of peace has begun.

Below is the full joint statement by North and South Korea released by the South Korean presidential office on Friday after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in pledged to work for the "complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula". It punctuated a day of smiles and handshakes at the first inter-Korean summit in more than a decade. During this momentous period of historical transformation on the Korean Peninsula, reflecting the enduring aspiration of the Korean people for peace, prosperity and unification, President Moon Jae-in of the Republic of Korea and Chairman Kim Jong Un of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea held an Inter-Korean Summit Meeting at the ‘Peace House’ at Panmunjom on April 27, 2018. The two leaders solemnly declared before the 80 million Korean people and the whole world that there will be no more war on the Korean Peninsula and thus a new era of peace has begun. The two leaders, sharing the firm commitment to bring a swift a swift end to the Cold War relic of longstanding division and confrontation, to boldly approach a new era of national reconciliation, peace and prosperity, and to improve and cultivate inter-Korean relations in a more active manner, declared at this historic site of Panmunjom as follows: 1. South and North Korea will reconnect the blood relations of the people and bring forward the future of co-prosperity and unification led by Koreans by facilitating comprehensive and groundbreaking advancement in inter-Korean relations. Improving and cultivating inter-Korean relations is the prevalent desire of the whole nation and the urgent calling of the times that cannot be held back any further. 1) South and North Korea affirmed the principle of determining the destiny of the Korean nation on their own accord and agreed to bring forth the watershed moment for the improvement of inter-Korean relations by fully implementing all existing agreements and declarations adopted between the two sides thus far. 2) South and North Korea agreed to hold dialogue and negotiations in various fields including at high level, and to take active measures for the implementation of the agreements reached at the Summit. 3) South and North Korea agreed to establish a joint liaison office with resident representatives of both sides in the Gaeseong region in order to facilitate close consultation between the authorities as well as smooth exchanges and cooperation between the peoples. 4) South and North Korea agreed to encourage more active cooperation, exchanges, visits and contacts at all levels in order to rejuvenate the sense of national reconciliation and unity. Between South and North, the two sides will encourage the atmosphere of amity and cooperation by actively staging various joint events on the dates that hold special meaning for both South and North Korea, such as June 15, in which participants from all levels, including central and local governments, parliaments, political parties, and civil organizations, will be involved. On the international front, the two sides agreed to demonstrate their collective wisdom, talents, and solidarity by jointly participating in international sports events such as the 2018 Asian Games. 5) South and North Korea agreed to endeavor to swiftly resolve the humanitarian issues that resulted from the division of the nation, and to convene the Inter-Korean Red Cross Meeting to discuss and solve various issues including the reunion of separated families. In this vein, South and North Korea agreed to proceed with reunion programs for the separated families on the occasion of the National Liberation Day of August 15 this year. 6) South and North Korea agreed to actively implement the projects previously agreed in the 2007 October 4 Declaration, in order to promote balanced economic growth and co-prosperity of the nation. As a first step, the two sides agreed to adopt practical steps towards the connection and modernization of the railways and roads on the eastern transportation corridor as well as between Seoul and Sinuiju for their utilization. 2. South and North Korea will make joint efforts to alleviate the acute military tension and practically eliminate the danger of war on the Korean Peninsula. 1) South and North Korea agreed to completely cease all hostile acts against each other in every domain, including land, air and sea, that are the source of military tension and conflict. In this vein, the two sides agreed to transform the demilitarized zone into a peace zone in a genuine sense by ceasing as of May 2 this year all hostile acts and eliminating their means, including broadcasting through loudspeakers and distribution of leaflets, in the areas along the Military Demarcation Line. 2) South and North Korea agreed to devise a practical scheme to turn the areas around the Northern Limit Line in the West Sea into a maritime peace zone in order to prevent accidental military clashes and guarantee safe fishing activities. 3) South and North Korea agreed to take various military measures to ensure active mutual cooperation, exchanges, visits and contacts. The two sides agreed to hold frequent meetings between military authorities, including the defense Ministers Meeting, in order to immediately discuss and solve military issues that arise between them. In this regard, the two sides agreed to first convene military talks at the rank of general in May. 3. South and North Korea will actively cooperate to establish a permanent and solid peace regime on the Korean Peninsula. Bringing an end to the current unnatural state of armistice and establishing a robust peace regime on the Korean Peninsula is a historical mission that must not be delayed any further. 1) South and North Korea reaffirmed the Non-Aggression Agreement that precludes the use of force in any form against each other, and agreed to strictly adhere to this Agreement. 2) South and North Korea agreed to carry out disarmament in a phased manner, as military tension is alleviated and substantial progress is made in military confidence-building. 3) During this year that marks the 65th anniversary of the Armistice, South and North Korea agreed to actively pursue trilateral meetings involving the two Koreas and the United States, or quadrilateral meetings involving the two Koreas, the United States and China with a view to declaring an end to the war and establishing a permanent and solid peace regime. 4) South and North Korea confirmed the common goal of realizing, through complete denuclearisation, a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula. South and North Korea shared the view that the measures being initiated by North Korea are very meaningful and crucial for the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and agreed to carry out their respective roles and responsibilities in this regard. South and North Korea agreed to actively seek the support and cooperation of the international community for the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula. The two leaders agreed, through regular meetings and direct telephone conversations, to hold frequent and candid discussions on issues vital to the nation, to strengthen mutual trust and to jointly endeavor to strengthen the positive momentum towards continuous advancement of inter-Korean relations as well as peace, prosperity and unification of the Korean Peninsula. In this context, President Moon Jae-in agreed to visit Pyongyang this fall. April 27, 2018 Done in Panmunjom Moon Jae-in President Republic of Korea Kim Jong Un Chairman State Affairs Commission Democratic People's Republic of Korea

Full statement: Panmunjom declaration for peace, prosperity and unification of the Korean peninsula

By&nbsp;Nicholas John Wheeler*,&nbsp;Marcus Holmes**

President Donald Trump&rsquo;s recent announcement that he would meet with Kim Jong-un, leader of the Democratic People&rsquo;s Republic of Korea (DPRK), took the world by surprise. Never before has a sitting US president met with his North Korean counterpart.

The potential consequences of a meeting depend upon your point of view.

Either Trump has walked into a carefully laid trap laid by Kim, in which the North Korean leader will pocket this great concession on the part of his US counterpart and Trump will leave the summit with nothing to show for his bold and impulsive gamble. Or, the US leader has made a bold and daring move that opens the door to the possibility of transforming the conflict on the Korean peninsula &ndash; a conflict frozen in stone since the end of the Korean War in 1953.

The reality will depend on the expectations heaped upon the summit &ndash; and a recognition that the personal chemistry of leaders can sometimes lead to the most surprising of diplomatic breakthroughs. A promise of full denuclearisation is unlikely, but a first step towards reassurance and a meeting that signals both Kim and Trump&rsquo;s peaceful intentions is possible.&nbsp;

Prize of recognition

In agreeing to hold a summit with the North Korean leader, Trump has given Kim the great prize of diplomatic normalisation and legitimacy, sought by his predecessors. This was denied them by presidents George W. Bush and Obama, who saw a summit as a reward that had to be earned by the North Koreans after they had taken concrete and verifiable steps towards nuclear disarmament.

Some have suggested that Kim has already &ldquo;won&rdquo;: even if nothing comes out of the summit, the DPRK will be treated as an equal. The &ldquo;supreme leader&rdquo; of North Korea is dangling the juicy carrot of ultimate denuclearisation in the way his father and grandfather did, but like them, he has made any such disarmament conditional on security guarantees.

The question remains whether there is a non-nuclear path to North Korea&rsquo;s security that is acceptable to its leader. This was an issue that bedevilled, and ultimately derailed, the &ldquo;six party talks&rdquo; of the 2000s. If the North Korean leadership believes all that stands between it and US-led regime change is the DPRK&rsquo;s possession of nuclear weapons, then it would be unwise to stake the success of the summit on how far it achieves the goal of denuclearisation. The fates of Saddam Hussein in Iraq and Muammar Gaddafi in Libya are clear reminders of what happens to leaders who decide to give up nuclear weapons.

But the litmus test of success for the summit should not be judged in terms of whether it achieves an agreement on the DPRK&rsquo;s denuclearisation. Instead, its success should be judged in terms of how far it promotes reassurance between the two leaders that each is committed to achieving a de-escalation of the conflict that recognises the other has legitimate security concerns.&nbsp;

Reagan and Gorbachev: building trust

As we argue in our recent research, face-to-face interaction at the highest levels of diplomacy opens up new possibilities for two leaders to gain a better understanding of each other&rsquo;s intentions, and even to develop a personal relationship of trust. The most successful case of this kind of interpersonal trust-building and reassurance was the diplomatic summitry between US and Soviet leaders Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev.&nbsp;

To be sure, Trump is not Reagan and Kim is no Mikhail Gorbachev. As critics have pointed out, the level of diplomatic preparation at lower levels, as well as the absence of a history of summits between the two parties makes for an imperfect analogy. However, the basic lesson of the Geneva Summit in November 1985 between Reagan and Gorbachev is nevertheless useful.

Its aims were relatively modest: both sides sought and reached agreement that a nuclear war cannot be won, and must never be fought. But what was equally important and ultimately transformational to ending US-Soviet enmity was the personal bond that developed between Reagan and Gorbachev, and the trust that this made possible between these two leaders of formerly enemy states.

If a summit between Trump and Kim could begin a similar process of bonding and trust formation, where each leader recognised that the only security between their two countries was mutual security, then it really could be a game-changer in de-escalating tension on the Korean peninsula. In the end, the lesson of the Reagan-Gorbachev encounters is that neither leader should go into a summit believing that they know what the other&rsquo;s bottom line is. The whole point of face-to-face diplomacy is to try and reshape each side&rsquo;s understanding of the other&rsquo;s intentions in ways that promote trust and mutual security.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

*Nicholas John Wheeler is a professor of International Relations Director of the The Institute for Conflict, Cooperation and Security.&nbsp; 
**Marcus Holmes is an assistant professor of Government, College of William &amp; Mary.&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;

The basic lesson of the Geneva Summit in November 1985 between Reagan and Gorbachev is nevertheless useful. It needs to be assured that Trump is not Reagan and Kim is no Mikhail Gorbachev.

By Nicholas John Wheeler*, Marcus Holmes** President Donald Trump’s recent announcement that he would meet with Kim Jong-un, leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), took the world by surprise. Never before has a sitting US president met with his North Korean counterpart. The potential consequences of a meeting depend upon your point of view. Either Trump has walked into a carefully laid trap laid by Kim, in which the North Korean leader will pocket this great concession on the part of his US counterpart and Trump will leave the summit with nothing to show for his bold and impulsive gamble. Or, the US leader has made a bold and daring move that opens the door to the possibility of transforming the conflict on the Korean peninsula – a conflict frozen in stone since the end of the Korean War in 1953. The reality will depend on the expectations heaped upon the summit – and a recognition that the personal chemistry of leaders can sometimes lead to the most surprising of diplomatic breakthroughs. A promise of full denuclearisation is unlikely, but a first step towards reassurance and a meeting that signals both Kim and Trump’s peaceful intentions is possible. Prize of recognition In agreeing to hold a summit with the North Korean leader, Trump has given Kim the great prize of diplomatic normalisation and legitimacy, sought by his predecessors. This was denied them by presidents George W. Bush and Obama, who saw a summit as a reward that had to be earned by the North Koreans after they had taken concrete and verifiable steps towards nuclear disarmament. Some have suggested that Kim has already “won”: even if nothing comes out of the summit, the DPRK will be treated as an equal. The “supreme leader” of North Korea is dangling the juicy carrot of ultimate denuclearisation in the way his father and grandfather did, but like them, he has made any such disarmament conditional on security guarantees. The question remains whether there is a non-nuclear path to North Korea’s security that is acceptable to its leader. This was an issue that bedevilled, and ultimately derailed, the “six party talks” of the 2000s. If the North Korean leadership believes all that stands between it and US-led regime change is the DPRK’s possession of nuclear weapons, then it would be unwise to stake the success of the summit on how far it achieves the goal of denuclearisation. The fates of Saddam Hussein in Iraq and Muammar Gaddafi in Libya are clear reminders of what happens to leaders who decide to give up nuclear weapons. But the litmus test of success for the summit should not be judged in terms of whether it achieves an agreement on the DPRK’s denuclearisation. Instead, its success should be judged in terms of how far it promotes reassurance between the two leaders that each is committed to achieving a de-escalation of the conflict that recognises the other has legitimate security concerns. Reagan and Gorbachev: building trust As we argue in our recent research, face-to-face interaction at the highest levels of diplomacy opens up new possibilities for two leaders to gain a better understanding of each other’s intentions, and even to develop a personal relationship of trust. The most successful case of this kind of interpersonal trust-building and reassurance was the diplomatic summitry between US and Soviet leaders Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev. To be sure, Trump is not Reagan and Kim is no Mikhail Gorbachev. As critics have pointed out, the level of diplomatic preparation at lower levels, as well as the absence of a history of summits between the two parties makes for an imperfect analogy. However, the basic lesson of the Geneva Summit in November 1985 between Reagan and Gorbachev is nevertheless useful. Its aims were relatively modest: both sides sought and reached agreement that a nuclear war cannot be won, and must never be fought. But what was equally important and ultimately transformational to ending US-Soviet enmity was the personal bond that developed between Reagan and Gorbachev, and the trust that this made possible between these two leaders of formerly enemy states. If a summit between Trump and Kim could begin a similar process of bonding and trust formation, where each leader recognised that the only security between their two countries was mutual security, then it really could be a game-changer in de-escalating tension on the Korean peninsula. In the end, the lesson of the Reagan-Gorbachev encounters is that neither leader should go into a summit believing that they know what the other’s bottom line is. The whole point of face-to-face diplomacy is to try and reshape each side’s understanding of the other’s intentions in ways that promote trust and mutual security. *Nicholas John Wheeler is a professor of International Relations Director of the The Institute for Conflict, Cooperation and Security. **Marcus Holmes is an assistant professor of Government, College of William & Mary. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Lessons for Trump-Kim summit from Reagan, Gorbachev over denuclearisation

North Korea said on Saturday that U.S. President Donald Trump&#39;s first trip to Asia showed he was a &quot;destroyer&quot; and he had begged for war on the Korean peninsula.

The North&#39;s state-run television KRT also said the Trump&#39;s current trip was &quot;nothing more than a war-dealer&#39;s business of taking money from its allies&#39; pockets&quot;, quoting a statement released by its foreign ministry.

The outburst came as Trump nears the tail end of his sweep through Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines that has seen him rail against the North`s nuclear ambitions and deliver his &quot;America First&quot; vision of global trade.

Trump has urged the region to take a united front against the threat posed by isolated North Korea, which has sparked global alarm with its nuclear and missile tests in recent months.

On Friday he warned world leaders gathered in the Vietnamese resort city of Danang that the Asia-Pacific region &quot;must not be held hostage to a dictator`s twisted fantasies&quot;.

Tensions over the North`s weapons programme have surged in recent months, as Pyongyang carried out a sixth nuclear test -- by far its largest to date -- and test fired dozens of missiles, some capable of reaching the US mainland.

 
In a speech to the South Korean parliament on Wednesday, Trump warned Pyongyang not to underestimate the United States, while offering leader Kim Jong-Un a better future if he gives up his nuclear ambitions.

Trump has also prodded Chinese President Xi Jinping to pile pressure on North Korea.&nbsp;

&quot;I`d like to have him ratchet it up, and I think he`s doing that,&quot; Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Hanoi Saturday following a regional trade meeting in the coastal city of Danang.&nbsp;

Though China has backed UN sanctions, Washington would like to see Beijing clamp down on unauthorised trade along the North Korean border.

(Agencies)

The North Korean spokesman said nothing would deter Pyongyang from pursuing its nuclear weapons programme.

North Korea said on Saturday that U.S. President Donald Trump's first trip to Asia showed he was a "destroyer" and he had begged for war on the Korean peninsula. The North's state-run television KRT also said the Trump's current trip was "nothing more than a war-dealer's business of taking money from its allies' pockets", quoting a statement released by its foreign ministry. The outburst came as Trump nears the tail end of his sweep through Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines that has seen him rail against the North`s nuclear ambitions and deliver his "America First" vision of global trade. Trump has urged the region to take a united front against the threat posed by isolated North Korea, which has sparked global alarm with its nuclear and missile tests in recent months. On Friday he warned world leaders gathered in the Vietnamese resort city of Danang that the Asia-Pacific region "must not be held hostage to a dictator`s twisted fantasies". Tensions over the North`s weapons programme have surged in recent months, as Pyongyang carried out a sixth nuclear test -- by far its largest to date -- and test fired dozens of missiles, some capable of reaching the US mainland. In a speech to the South Korean parliament on Wednesday, Trump warned Pyongyang not to underestimate the United States, while offering leader Kim Jong-Un a better future if he gives up his nuclear ambitions. Trump has also prodded Chinese President Xi Jinping to pile pressure on North Korea. "I`d like to have him ratchet it up, and I think he`s doing that," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Hanoi Saturday following a regional trade meeting in the coastal city of Danang. Though China has backed UN sanctions, Washington would like to see Beijing clamp down on unauthorised trade along the North Korean border. (Agencies)

Trump begged for a war during his Asia trip: North Korea