US Officials Travel To North Korea, Say Reports

The Korean leaders meet in the demilitarised zone (Picture: PA). 

US officials have travelled to North Korea ahead of a potential summit between the two countries, according to reports. 

President Donald Trump had previously cancelled the summit blaming North Korea's "hostility" but on Saturday he Tweeted things were "moving along very nicely" following the reopening of talks.

The news of US officials arriving in North Korea comes after South Korean President Moon Jae-in announced that North Korea leader Kim Jong-un has committed to a US summit and "complete denuclearisation".

The two Korean leaders' second summit in a month was quickly arranged and appears to highlight a sense of urgency on both sides of the border.

Mr Trump told reporters that Singapore is still being considered as the venue for the talks. He added there is a "lot of good will" and denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula would be "a great thing". 

The meeting between the Korean leaders was organised by Mr Kim, according to Mr Moon.

It allowed Mr Moon to push for a US-North Korean summit which he sees as the best way to ease animosity that had been heating up between the two nations last year.

On the other hand, Mr Kim sees a meeting with Mr Trump as necessary to ease sanctions and win security assurances.

Mr Moon told reporters that Mr Kim "again made clear his commitment to a complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula", adding Mr Kim was willing to work towards peace for the sake of a successful North Korean-US summit. 

Mr Moon said: 

"What Kim is unclear about is that he has concerns about whether his country can surely trust the United States over its promise to end hostile relations (with North Korea) and provide a security guarantee if they do denuclearisation," Mr Moon said.

"During the South Korea-US summit, President Trump said the US is willing to clearly put an end to hostile relations (between the US and North Korea) and help (the North) achieve economic prosperity if North Korea conducts denuclearisation."

Mr Moon said he expects the talks to go well between the US and the North because both nations know what they want from each other. 

During the inter-Korean summit, the two leaders agreed to "positively cooperate with each other as ever to improve (North Korea)-US relations and establish (a) mechanism for permanent and durable peace."

Top officials from the North and South will meet on 1 June.

Mr Moon said military generals and Red Cross officials from the Koreas will meet separately to discuss easing military tensions and reunited families split by the Korean War.