North Korea will immediately suspend nuclear and missile tests and scrap its nuclear test site and instead pursue economic growth and peace, the North's state media says, ahead of planned summits with South Korea and the United States.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Saturday said his country no longer needed to conduct nuclear tests or intercontinental ballistic missile tests because it had completed its goal of developing nuclear weapons, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.
North Korea said that to create an "international environment favourable" for its economy, it would "facilitate close contact and active dialogue" with neighbouring countries and the international community.
It was the first time Kim directly addressed his position on North Korea's nuclear weapons programs ahead of planned summits with South Korean President Moon Jae-in next week and with US President Donald Trump in late May or early June.
Announcing the concessions now, rather than during summit meetings, shows Kim is serious about denuclearisation talks, experts said.
Trump welcomed the statement and said he looked forward to a summit with Kim.
"North Korea has agreed to suspend all Nuclear Tests and close up a major test site. This is very good news for North Korea and the World - big progress! Look forward to our Summit," Trump wrote on Twitter.
South Korea said the North's decision signified "meaningful" progress toward denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and would create favourable conditions for successful meetings with it and the United States.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he welcomed North Korea's statement but it must lead to verifiable denuclearisation.
"This announcement is forward motion that I'd like to welcome," Abe told reporters. "But what's important is that this leads to complete, verifiable denuclearisation. I want to emphasise this."
The United States, Japan and South Korea have historically been the main targets of North Korea's anger.
"We're all looking for evidence that Kim is really serious about negotiations, and announcements like this certainly suggest he is, and that he is trying to make clear to the world that he is," said David Wright, co-director of the Global Security Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists.
Australian Associated Press
