Trump says South Korea poised to make 'major announcement'

South Korean official visiting Washington to brief US allies about talks with North Korean leader in Pyongyang

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said on Thursday South Korea will make a "major" announcement in the coming hours, making an impromptu visit to the White House briefing room.

Trump said the announcement would be made at 7:00 pm, and that he had spoken to South Korean President Moon Jae-in, but did not give more detail.

A senior administration official said the announcement would be made by South Korean National Security Advisor Chung Eui-yong at the White House.

He will be joined by press secretary Sarah Sanders.

The South Korean official is currently visiting Washington to brief US allies about his recent landmark talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang.



South Korea announced Tuesday that the North had stated there was "no reason" to hold on to its nuclear weapons "if military threats towards the North are cleared and the security of its regime is guaranteed."

The North is open to "frank" talks with the United States on denuclearization and would suspend missile and nuclear tests while dialogue was under way, Chung said after returning from a meeting in Pyongyang with Kim.

Trump welcomed the offer as "very positive."

However his Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats told Congress he was "quite skeptical" and Vice President Mike Pence said the US position towards North Korea would not change "until we see credible, verifiable, and concrete steps toward denuclearization."