Meeting with Trump will be positive development, says Kim

Breaking his silence over the planned meeting with United States President Donald Trump, North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un said that he was looking forward to meeting the US President, which is a positive development.

Kim made the remarks after he recently met with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Pyongyang to finalise the details for the summit and also ensuring the smooth release of the three American detainees.

The North's Korean Central News Agency report said, citing Yonhap News Agency, "He (Kim) said that the coming (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) DPRK-US summit would be a historic meeting for the excellent first step toward promotion of the positive situation development in the Korean peninsula and building of a good future."

"At the meeting, an in-depth discussion was made on the practical matters for holding the DPRK-US summit and its procedure and ways. Kim Jong-un reached a satisfactory consensus on the issues discussed with the US state secretary," the KCNA report added.

The Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of North Korea's Workers' Party, published images of the meeting between Kim and Pompeo and on their front page extensively.

Earlier on Thursday, Trump and Vice-President Mike Pence received the three former American detainees - Kim Hak-song, Tony Kim and Kim Dong-Chul who returned from North Korea in Maryland Air Force Base.

"It is a great honour. Hope everything works fine. I just want to say that they are really great people. Congratulations." he said.

The three detainees were held captive on charges of espionage or for doing "hostile acts" against the North Korean government.

Meanwhile, according to Yonhap, Pompeo is expected to reveal the exact date and location of the summit between Kim and Trump soon.