Formal bilateral talks between the US and North Korea could happen as early as May
- President Donald Trump said the highly anticipated summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will take place in May or early June.
- A US official confirmed that North Korea is willing to discuss denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula.
- North Korea's state-sponsored media also acknowledged the bilateral talks.
President Donald Trump gave a timeline for the upcoming summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and appeared to be optimistic for a positive outcome.
"We'll be meeting with them sometime in May or early June and I think there'll be great respect paid by both parties and hopefully we'll be able to make a deal on the de-nuking of North Korea," Trump said on Monday, according to Reuters.
"They've said so. We've said so," Trump continued. "Hopefully, it'll be a relationship that's much different than it's been for many, many years."
On Sunday a US official confirmed that North Korea was willing to discuss the subject of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula.
The CIA has reportedly been in communication with representatives from North Korea, setting up backchannels have even met them in a different country, according to multiple news reports. Officials from the two countries were reportedly communicating with the intent to establish an appropriate venue for the talks and other details ahead of the summit.
Trump's statement comes amid North Korean state-sponspored media's acknowledgement of the bilateral talks.
The two Korean leaders are set to hold their own historic summit on April 27, the first in 11 years, between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Kim.