WASHINGTON • United States President Donald Trump has confirmed that his Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) director met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on a secret visit to Pyongyang, ahead of a planned summit between the two leaders.

"Mike Pompeo met with Kim Jong Un in North Korea last week. Meeting went very smoothly and a good relationship was formed. Details of summit are being worked out now," tweeted Mr Trump yesterday.

"Denuclearisation will be a great thing for world, but also for North Korea!" he added.

The tweet came after The Washington Post reported on Tuesday that Mr Pompeo made the trip over the first weekend of April.

The meeting was part of an effort to prepare for a historic meeting in the coming weeks between Mr Trump and Mr Kim, the paper said, quoting two people with direct knowledge of the trip.

The visit came shortly after Mr Pompeo was nominated to be secretary of state, the paper said.

Speaking on Tuesday in Florida where he was hosting Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan, Mr Trump said he had given his blessing to discussions aimed at formally ending the Korean war.

Setting the stage for a major breakthrough, he added that "a great chance to solve a world problem" was within reach on the Korean peninsula.

Mr Trump had also confirmed that Washington and Pyongyang had been in contact at "very high levels" and that "five locations" were being considered for his meeting with Mr Kim.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE