North Korea Vows No More Nuclear Or Missile Tests

Picture: Launch of a North Korean intercontinental ballistic missile, July 2017 

The UK has welcomed the announcement that North Korea is to halt its nuclear testing programme.

In a statement responding to developments overnight, the Foreign Office (FCO) said it hoped Kim Jong Un was indicating a willingness to negotiate with world leaders.

The US and South Korea, who are due to take part in historic talks with Pyongyang, both approved of the move.

In a statement, the FCO said: "A long term commitment from Kim Jong Un to halt all nuclear tests and ICBM launches would be a positive step.

"We hope this indicates an effort to negotiate in good faith."

"We remain committed to working with our international partners to bring about our goal of a complete, verifiable and irreversible de-nuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, and to do so through peaceful means."

US president Donald Trump tweeted the move marked "big progress".

Pyongyang announced that it will suspend nuclear tests and intercontinental ballistic missile launches ahead of its summits with Seoul and Washington.

But it stopped short of suggesting it has any intention of giving up its hard-won nuclear arsenal.

Mr Kim justified the suspension to his party by saying the situation around North Koreahas been rapidly changing "in favour of the Korean revolution" since he announced last year that his country had completed its nuclear forces.

Foreign Office Minister Mark Field, writing on Twitter, said he welcomed North Korea's announcement "that it will halt all nuclear tests and mid/long-range missile and ICBM launches". He added:

"Hope this is the first step towards a complete, verifiable and irreversible de-nuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula."