WASHINGTON, DC (RNN) - President Donald Trump agrees to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un by May to discuss denuclearization.
The announcement comes after a White House briefing by South Korean National Security Adviser Chung Eui-yong.
“President Trump appreciated the briefing and said he would meet Kim Jong Un by May to achieve permanent denuclearization,” Chung said outside the West Wing.
The South Korean delegation was at the White House to tell officials about the country's recent talks with North Korea. They reportedly delivered a letter from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to Trump.
“North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he is committed to denuclearization," Chung said. "Kim pledged that North Korea will refrain from any further nuclear or missile tests."
National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster will brief the U.N. on the details, CNN reported.
Earlier this week, a South Korean delegation, led by Chung and National Intelligence Service chief Suh Hoon, went to Pyongyang. The delegation met with Kim.
It's believed to be the first time Kim has ever met any South Korean government official since 2011, when he took power.
After the talks, Kim agreed not to conduct any nuclear or missile tests while involved in dialogue with South Korea, Chung said.
Trump just came into the briefing room and just said there was a major announcement coming from South Korea. Per @TreyYingst
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) March 8, 2018
During the talks, North Korea signaled it would be willing to enter nuclear negotiations, the South said.
“The North Korean side clearly stated its willingness to denuclearize," the office of President Moon said in a statement.
The North's conditions, according to the statement, include the elimination of the "military threat" to its territory and "its security guaranteed." It did not elaborate how that would be achieved, though the North generally considers the more than 20,000 American troops stationed in the South an unacceptable presence.
Trump himself has expressed his willingness to negotiate a number of times, tweeting on Tuesday about "possible progress" on talks.
Possible progress being made in talks with North Korea. For the first time in many years, a serious effort is being made by all parties concerned. The World is watching and waiting! May be false hope, but the U.S. is ready to go hard in either direction!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 6, 2018
“We have come certainly a long way, at least rhetorically, with North Korea. The statements coming out of South Korea and North Korea have been very positive. That would be a great thing for the world," Trump said at a news briefing on Tuesday.
The North has made rapid progress in its drive for nuclear arms in the last few years. The country has conducted six confirmed nuclear tests since 2006, half of them since 2016.
Last year the North conducted its first successful test of an intercontinental ballistic missile. In November it tested a missile, the Hwasong-15, believed to be capable of hitting anywhere on the U.S. mainland.
The North still needs to perfect the process of producing nuclear warheads small enough to fit onto missiles.
In January the CIA Director, Mike Pompeo, predicted it would take North Korea just "a handful of months" to achieve that and have the capability of striking the U.S. with nuclear weapons.
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