US mulling over location for 2nd summit with N Korea

United States Donald Trump said the US is mulling over a location to conduct a second meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, adding that the latter has spoken to Trump "indirectly."

Speaking to reporters assembled outside the White House on Sunday (local time), Trump reaffirmed that relations with North Korea were progressing at a good pace.

"The US has a very good dialogue going with North Korea. Now I say this, North Korea, we're doing very well. And again, no rockets. There's no rockets. There's no anything. We're doing very well," CNN quoted Trump, as saying.

However, the US President said sanctions against North Korea will remain "in full force and effect."

Earlier this week, Trump said he had received a "great letter" from Kim and expressed hope that he would get a chance to meet the North Korean leader in the near future.

Kim, in his New Year's speech, threatened that his country would have to "seek a new way" if the US "does not make good on its promises" with regard to denuclearisation and continues with sanctions.

Even though engagements between Washington and Pyongyang reached new heights in 2018 with the unprecedented meeting between the US President and Kim at Singapore in June, the last few months of the year saw a stalemate in relations.

North Korea, on the one hand, has asked for corresponding measures by the US for its efforts towards denuclearisation. The US, on the other hand, has pushed for complete denuclearisation before a relaxation in sanctions.