Donald Trump willing to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un under 'right circumstances'

Washington : US President Donald Trump said on Monday he would be willing to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un "under the right circumstances" to defuse tensions over North Korea's nuclear programme.

"If it would be appropriate for me to meet him, I would absolutely, I would be honoured to do it," CNN quoted Trump as saying in an interview to Bloomberg News on Monday. "If it's under the, again, under the right circumstances. But I would do that."

No US President has ever before met the leader of North Korea, and the idea is extremely controversial.

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Trump's comment comes amid rising tensions between the US and North Korea as Pyongyang has sought to advance its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes and Washington has made a show of force in the region to deter their use.

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The US directed an aircraft carrier-led strike group to the region as well as deployed a new anti-ballistic missile system to South Korea.

The North Korean nuclear issue has quickly become one of the top national security concerns for the Trump administration. Trump has focused on finding a diplomatic solution to the North Korean issue -- working increasingly closely with China -- but has also refused to rule out a military solution to the problem.

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