Trump said North Korea’s President, Kim Jong-un has responded to his overtures a day after he ordered the United States to scale back military exercises with South Korea and called North Korea “unthreatening and respectful.”
Trump on Sunday instructed the Pentagon to “substantially reduce” joint military exercises with long-term Asian ally South Korea, citing the cost of the drills and Seoul’s refusal to take part in actions against Iran. North Korea denounces such drills as preparations for war.
U.S. President updated on Monday that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had responded to his outreach but doesn’t offer details.
Trump’s relationship with Kim has received less White House emphasis than it did in his first term, when the two men met and exchanged letters, but the U.S. president has repeatedly signaled interest in reviving direct diplomacy with the North Korean leader.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump was asked why Kim had not responded to his overtures?…Trump shot back at the reporter: “How do you know he hasn’t responded?” The reporter then asked again if he had.
“Um, yeah he has,” Trump said. Asked what stage the conversations with Kim were at, Trump said “it’s very positive”, but provided no further detail.
“Kim Jong-un has always treated me with great respect and we met on numerous occasions, actually two primary occasions, spoken and spent time. I understand him. He understands me.”He added.
As reported their relationship was a dominant theme during Trump’s first term, including a series of meetings between them, but has received less emphasis in his second term.
Last year, Kim’s powerful sister, Kim Yo Jong, conceded that the personal relationship between her brother and Trump was “not bad”, but if Washington intended to use a personal relationship as a way to end Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons programme, the effort would only be the subject of “mockery”.
