North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump talk in the garden of the Metropole hotel during the second North Korea-US summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, February 28, 2019. (Photo: Reuters)

Describing Kim as “smart and tough”, Trump said he believes there is still trust between him and the North Korean leader and that Kim is willing to take steps toward denuclearization in the interest of economic prosperity for North Korea.

Trump’s statement in an interview with ABC News came amid hopes for the resumption of denuclearization negotiations which have been stalled since the second Trump-Kim summit ended with no agreement in February in Hanoi.