US determined to achieve de-nuclearisation of N Korea: Trump

The US and its international partners remain determined to achieve the goal of a de-nuclearised Korean Peninsula, President Donald Trump said today.

"We remain determined to achieve a de-nuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," Trump told reporters at a joint White House news conference with the Swedish Prime Minister.

"There has been a lot of news on that today, he said referring to the news coming from the region that North Korea is willing to talk with the US.

"Hopefully it's positive. Hopefully it will lead to a very positive result," he said.

Trump was asked if he thinks that North Korea is sincere this time.

"I think that they are sincere but I think they're sincere also because the sanctions and what we're doing with respect to North Korea, including the great help that we've been given from China, and they can do more, but I think they've done more than certainly they've ever done for our country before, so China has been a big help," the US President said.

"I think that's been a factor, but the sanctions have been very, very strong, and very biting. And we don't want that to happen, so I really believe they are sincere. I hope they're sincere. We're going to soon find out," he said.

Earlier in the day, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that the North Koreans seem to be acting positively.

"But we're going to see. We'll know, and I'm willing to go either way. Hopefully, it's going to be the proper way. The proper way is the way that everybody knows and everybody wants. But we are prepared to go either way," he said.

"I think that their statement and the statements coming out of South Korea and North Korea have been very positive. That would be a great thing for the world. A great thing for the world. So we'll see how it all comes about," Trump said.

Trump did not give a definite answer when asked if he would be willing to meet the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

"We'll see what happens. Let's see what happens," he said.

"Would you agree to direct talks if they agree to just suspend any types of tests right now? Would you agree to talks?" Trump was asked.

"We're going to see what happens. I don't want to talk so much about things that we don't know yet. But we have had very good dialogue. I think it was very positive dialogue. You've heard that before. But so far, whether you look at the Clinton administration, or the Bush administration, or the Obama administration, it never worked out," he said.

"That was the time to have settled this problem, not now. But we are settling it. We're going to do something now. One way or the other, we have to do something. We cannot let that situation fester. We cannot let it happen," Trump said.