Possible progress made in talks with North Korea, tweets Trump

In a move which could signal softening of US stand on North Korea, President Donald Trump said Kim's regime was "sincere", asserting at the same time that sanctions were working against North Koreans.

Speaking to reporters at the Oval Office, the US president said "statements coming out of South Korea and North Korea have been very positive."

"I think that they are sincere. And I think they're sincere also because of the sanctions and what we're doing with respect to North Korea, including the great help that we've been given from China," Trump said at a news conference.

The President tweeted later saying possible "progress was being made on talks with North Korea", although cautioning that it "may be false hope" at the same time the president said the US is ready to "go hard in either direction."

Trump met Sweden's PM Stefan Lofven who represents US interests in North Korea with both leaders cautiously optimistic over the recent peace moves by North Korea.

However, when pressed about preconditions on talks, Trump seemed non-committal, adding: "I don't want to talk about it. We're going to see what happens."

PM Lofven expanding on his country's role said: "It is not up to us to solve the problem but with our presence ... if the key actors ask us to help we can be there."

Even as the US continued to talk peace, Vice President Mike Pence who was recently in South Korea for the Winter Games and sat near to Kim's sister Kim Yo Young, declared that the United States would continue to apply "maximum pressure" on North Korea and that "all options were on the table".

Meanwhile, Chung Eui- yong, head of the South Korean delegation who visited North Korea to continue the peace initiative said: "North Korea made clear its willingness to denuclearize the Korean peninsula," adding that," the fact there is no reason for it to have a nuclear program if military threats against the North are resolved and its regime is secure."