How President Donald Trump responded to North Korea's nuclear missile announcement

Donald Trump has hailed North Korea’s announcement that it was halting nuclear and long-range missile tests as ‘big progress’.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un declared the nation’s nuclear force as complete in November after a slew of weapons tests that included the underground detonation of a purported thermonuclear warhead.

Pyongyang said it also plans to close its nuclear test site, although there was no clear indication if it would be willing to deal away its arsenal.

The announcement came days before Mr Kim is set to meet South Korean President Moon Jae-in in a border truce village for a rare summit aimed at resolving the nuclear standoff with Pyongyang.

While a separate meeting between Mr Kim and US President Trump is anticipated in May or June.

Trump took to Twitter in response to North Korea’s announcement.

He said: “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.”

Later adding: “A message from Kim Jong Un: ‘North Korea will stop nuclear tests and launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles.’

“Also will “Shut down a nuclear test site in the country’s Northern Side to prove the vow to suspend nuclear tests.” Progress being made for all!”

The North’s decisions to halt missile tests were made in a meeting of the ruling party’s full Central Committee, which had convened to discuss a “new stage” of policies.

The Korean Workers’ Party Central Committee declared a “great victory” in the country’s official “byungjin” policy of simultaneously pursuing economic and nuclear development.

The committee unanimously adopted a resolution that called for concentrating national efforts to achieve a strong socialist economy and “groundbreaking improvements in people’s lives”.

“To secure transparency on the suspension of nuclear tests, we will close the republic’s northern nuclear test site,” the party’s resolution said.

The official news agency quoted Mr Kim as saying during the meeting: “Nuclear development has proceeded scientifically and in due order and the development of the delivery strike means also proceeded scientifically and verified the completion of nuclear weapons.

“We no longer need any nuclear test or test launches of intermediate and intercontinental range ballistic missiles and because of this, the northern nuclear test site has finished its mission.”

Seoul said Mr Kim has expressed genuine interest in dealing away his nuclear weapons.

But North Korea for decades has been pushing a concept of “denuclearisation” that bears no resemblance to the American definition, vowing to pursue nuclear development unless Washington removes its troops from the peninsula.

South Korean scientists have questioned whether the North could continue conducting underground nuclear detonations at its mountainous test site in Kilju in the northeast due to a series of earthquakes that were likely triggered by the activity, suggesting it is too unstable for further bomb tests.

At the height of Pyongyang’s standoff with Washington and Seoul last year, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho told reporters the country could conduct an atmospheric hydrogen bomb test over the Pacific Ocean.