Kim Jong Un ‘commits to axing weapons’

South Korea’s foreign minister says North Korea’s leader has “given his word” that he is committed to denuclearisation, a prime condition for a potential summit with US president Donald Trump in May.

Mr Trump has agreed to what would be historic talks after South Korean officials relayed that Kim Jong Un was committed to ridding the Korean Peninsula of nuclear weapons and was willing to halt nuclear and missile tests.

North Korea has not publicly confirmed the summit plans.

It is not known where any agreed meeting would take place.

South Korea’s Kang Kyung-wha said Seoul had asked the North “to indicate in clear terms the commitment to denuclearisation” and that Kim had “conveyed that commitment”. She said that he had “given his word” and that it was “the first time that the words came directly” from the North’s leader.

The minister’s comments come after months of tension over North Korea’s weapons programme.