"Trump said he will not get involved in the war between the South and the North," the article says, according to a translation. "Isn't this fortunate from the North Koreans' perspective?"

Mr Trump said recently that he would be open to direct communications with Mr Kim, in a break with the long-standing policy of freezing out the country's antagonistic regime.

He has also warned America's Asian allies, including South Korea and Japan, that he will withdraw US troops if they do not contribute more toward the costs associated with basing them there.