(CNN) President Donald Trump confirmed Sunday that he sent a letter to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un about cooperation on the novel coronavirus and offered assistance to North Korea, Iran and other countries that need help.

"On North Korea, Iran, and others, we are open for helping other countries. It is a very serious time. North Korea's going through something, Iran is going through something very, very strong," Trump said. "Iran is really going through a difficult period with respect to this as you know. I have put the -- it's really a glad hand, to North Korea, to Iran and to many other countries."

His confirmation comes after North Korea said Trump sent Kim a personal letter in which he expressed his willingness to help with "anti-epidemic work," according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency early Sunday.

In the letter, Trump "explained his plan to propel the relations between the two countries of the DPRK and the U.S. and expressed his intent to render cooperation in the anti-epidemic work, saying that he was impressed by the efforts made by the Chairman to defend his people from the serious threat of the epidemic," according to a statement from Kim Yo Jong, Kim's younger sister and first vice department director for WPK Central Committee, as reported by KCNA.

She also praised Trump's move as "good judgment and proper action" toward retaining a good relationship with the hermit nation at a time with what she referred to as "big difficulties and challenges."

Read More