US President Donald Trump says he is looking forward to meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on February 27 and 28 in Vietnam and wants Pyongyang to ultimately denuclearise, but is in no particular hurry.
Trump, speaking to reporters at the White House on Tuesday, said sanctions against North Korea would remain in place in the meantime and noted that Pyongyang has not conducted nuclear or rocket tests recently.
"I'm in no rush. There's no testing. As long as there is no testing, I'm in no rush. If there's testing, that's another deal," Trump said.
Trump also said he spoke to South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday and planned to talk to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Wednesday.
Moon told Trump in the call that his country is willing to open economic engagement with North Korea if it will hasten Pyongyang's denuclearisation.
Since Trump and Kim first met in June last year, there has been little progress in talks between the two countries, while Moon and Kim have forged ahead with multiple summits of their own amid promises of inter-Korean cooperation.
But plans for economic projects, such as allowing South Korean tourists to visit the North, have been on hold while the United States retains its sanctions.
Moon said it was Trump's "leadership and firm resolve" that had brought difficult negotiations with North Korea thus far.
