U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday held brief video-linked talks with American troops stationed in South Korea and asked them how North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has been doing, as he attended a formal inaugural ball in Washington.

South Korea's defence ministry said on Tuesday the denuclearisation of North Korea must continue to be the goal necessary for lasting global peace, after reports that U.S. President Donald Trump had called Pyongyang "a nuclear power.

Denuclearization of North Korea is imperative, South Korea said Tuesday after President Donald Trump described the reclusive regime as a “nuclear power.”

N Korea WASHINGTON, Jan. 20 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday described North Korea as a "nuclear power" and anticipated that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will be "happy" to see his return to the White House.