ADDS DETAILS THROUGHOUT
By Michael Hernandez
WASHINGTON (AA) - President Donald Trump has accepted North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's invitation to meet for de-nuclearization talks, South Korea's national security advisor confirmed Thursday.
Chung Eui-Yiong told reporters during brief remarks at the White House that Trump has agreed to meet Kim by May.
In addition to seeking talks, Kim told the South Koreans he has pledged to halt Pyongyang's ballistic missile and nuclear tests and will not oppose joint U.S.-South Korean military drills, said Chung, who was in Washington to brief U.S. officials on Seoul's recent talks with the North.
Still, Chung struck a note of caution, emphasizing it is vital "we not repeat the mistakes of the past", while stressing his government and Trump "are optimistic of our continuing diplomatic process to test for possibility of a peaceful resolution".
"The Republic of Korea along with the United States, Japan and our many partners around the world remain fully and resolutely committed to the complete de-nuclearization of the Korean peninsula," he said.
The time and place of the talks is yet to be determined, the White House said while stressing "all sanctions and maximum pressure must remain".
Nearly three decades of sporadic talks with the North have failed to de-nuclearize the Korean peninsula.