DPRK's Kim Jong Eun Receives "Excellent" letter from Donald Trump

Seoul (dpa) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has received a personal letter from US President Donald Trump, state news agency KCNA reported early Sunday.

What was said in the letter was not revealed, however Kim said after reading it that it was "of excellent content," according to KCNA.

"Appreciating the political judging faculty and extraordinary courage of President Trump, Kim Jong Un said that he would seriously contemplate the interesting content," the report added.

Negotiations regarding North Korea's nuclear weapons have stalled and tensions between the two countries have been rising since February's summit between Kim and Trump in Hanoi ended without result.

Washington wants Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons while North Korea is seeking the lifting of international sanctions that have stifled its economy.

Kim "said with satisfaction that the letter is of excellent content," Pyongyang's Korean Central News Agency reported.

"Appreciating the political judging faculty and extraordinary courage of President Trump, Kim Jong Un said that he would seriously contemplate the interesting content," the agency said, without elaborating.

South Korea's presidential office said it sees the exchange of letters between Kim and Trump as a positive development for keeping the momentum for dialogue alive.

Trump's letter also came days after Kim's summit with visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping, which experts say underscored China's emergence as a major player in the diplomatic push to resolve the nuclear standoff with the North.

North Korean state media said Kim and Xi discussed the political situation surrounding the Korean Peninsula and reached unspecified consensus on important issues.

Xi is expected to meet with Trump next week in Japan during the G-20 summit. Analysts say he could pass him a message from Kim about the nuclear negotiations.