The US president has said he has a “great relationship” with the North Korean leader
US President Donald Trump has said he would love to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during his ongoing Asia trip, adding that he has a “great relationship” with him.
During his first term, Trump became the first sitting US president to set foot in North Korea when he met with Kim in the Demilitarized Zone. The two leaders met three times from 2018 to 2019 to discuss denuclearization in exchange for economic and security incentives, but no agreement was reached.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Monday, Trump said he would be open to meeting with Kim during a stop in South Korea later this week. He is set to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in the coastal city of Gyeongju.
“If he’d like to meet, you know, I’ll be in South Korea, so I could be right over there,” Trump said, adding that he has “a good relationship with him” and “would love to see him.”
Asked about what Washington could offer Kim amid stalled denuclearization talks, Trump suggested leveraging sanctions. “That’s pretty big to start off with,” he said, but provided no further details, insisting he would just like to meet with the North Korean leader.
Kim also recently expressed willingness to meet with Trump, stating that he still has a “good memory” of the US president. He stressed, however, that Washington should abandon its “absurd” demand for North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons.
Since Trump’s last meeting with Kim in 2019, tensions between the US and North Korea have grown. Earlier this year, Axios reported that Trump’s team was considering a new strategy toward Pyongyang, including restoring diplomatic engagement. Nevertheless, Trump has accused North Korea, China, and Russia of “conspiring” against the US.
Relations between Russia and North Korea have grown considerably in recent years. The two nations signed a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty in 2024 which includes a mutual-defense clause.
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