Former US president Donald Trump said on 25/8 that he hopes to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sometime this year. "I'm meeting a lot of people. It's hard to say for sure, but I'd like to meet him this year," Trump told a reporter in the Oval Office.
Trump praised his personal relationship with Kim, saying they "get along very well." He described North Korea as a country with "tremendous power and potential."
North Korean officials have not yet commented on the information.
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Former US president Donald Trump at the White House on 25/8. Photo: AFP |
Former US president Donald Trump at the White House on 25/8. Photo: AFP
Trump made the comments while hosting South Korean president Lee Jae-myung. Lee commended Trump for helping the US "not only preserve, but also create peace."
"I look forward to your meeting with Kim Jong-un, building Trump Tower in North Korea, and playing golf there," Lee said. "Mr. Kim will be waiting for you."
In a speech after the White House meeting, Lee said he and Trump agreed on "efforts for the peaceful denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula."
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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un speaks at the headquarters of the Workers' Party of Korea Central Committee in Pyongyang on 29/1. Photo: AFP |
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un speaks at the headquarters of the Workers' Party of Korea Central Committee in Pyongyang on 29/1. Photo: AFP
During his presidency from 2017 to 2021, Trump sought direct engagement with Kim. The two leaders met three times between 2018 and 2019. Even after leaving office, Trump has repeatedly mentioned his good personal relationship with the North Korean leader.
Kim Yo-jong, a top North Korean foreign policy official, confirmed in late July that the personal relationship between Kim Jong-un and Trump is "not bad." However, she warned that it would be "ridiculous" for Washington to "exploit the personal relationship between the two leaders" to end Pyongyang's nuclear program.
Nhu Tam (AFP, Reuters, Yonhap)
