In particular, in his New Year address, Kim said the United States should continue to halt its joint military drills with South Korea and avoid the deployment of strategic military assets to Seoul.
Donald Trump said in a Christmas statement that the progress has been made with regards to North Korea, and he is anticipating his next bilateral meeting with North Korean leader.
Trump has been considering a second summit with Kim to speed up the stalling denuclearization. Trump’s National Security Advisor John Bolton said the summit could take place in January or February.
READ MORE: Trump Says US ‘In No Hurry’ in Negotiations With North Korea
On June 12, Trump and Kim met in Singapore, where they committed to establish new US-North Korea relations. In the joint declaration, Kim pledged to work towards the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, while in return, Trump promised to provide certain security guarantees to North Korea.
Pyongyang conducted its latest missile launch in November last year. In late April, Kim Jong-гn announced that the country would suspend its ICBM launches and missile tests ahead of the summits with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Donald Trump.
READ MORE: North Korea Allegedly Preparing for Another ICBM Launch
Moreover, during September's inter-Korean summit, Pyongyang pledged to close its missile test range in Tongchang-ri and completely dismantle nuclear facilities in Yongbyon.