Kim Jong-un expresses confidence in summit with Trump: KCNA

PYONGYANG - Kim Jong-un, the top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), has expressed his confidence that the upcoming summit with US President Donald Trump would be a historic one.

The summit would be an excellent first step toward promoting the positive development of situation on the Korean Peninsula and building a good future, Kim said during his meeting with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Kim highly appreciated that Trump showed deep interest in settling the issue on the Korean Peninsula through dialogue, the news agency said.

He also agreed to the request by the US side for the release of three Americans, and exchanged with Pompeo "the appraisal and view on the acute situation of the Korean Peninsula, which is now a pressing matter of the whole world's concern, and the stance and opinions of the supreme leaderships of the DPRK and the US on their summit," according to the KCNA.

"The respected Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un warmly greeted Mike Pompeo and sincerely congratulated him on his recent official assumption as secretary of State," the news agency reported.

Pompeo expressed thanks to Kim for sparing time to meet him and said he came to the DPRK to personally convey the verbal message of the US president and prepare for the summit.

"An in-depth discussion was made on the practical matters for holding the DPRK-US summit and its procedure and ways," and Kim and Pompeo "reached a satisfactory consensus on the issue," said the KCNA.

Pompeo also expressed thanks to the hospitality to him and his delegation during their visit to Pyongyang and "the very beneficial talks which reached a full agreement," according to the report.

"He showed his resolution and will to strive for the successful DPRK-US summit as the US secretary of state," said the KCNA report.