Kim Jong-Un Says He’s Is Open To U.S. Talks—Recounts ‘Fond Memories’ Of Trump

Topline

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signaled he is open to talks with the U.S. as he mentioned President Donald Trump by name in remarks that come just weeks after he stood alongside the presidents of China and Russia at a military parade in Beijing in what appeared to be a diplomatic show of strength aimed at Washington.

North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un said he has “fond memories” of meeting President Donald Trump.

AFP via Getty Images

Key Facts

According to a North Korean state media report published on Monday, Kim addressed a gathering of the country’s Supreme People’s Assembly, where he insisted Pyongyang will “never” give up its nuclear arsenal.

Kim said, “If the United States abandons its absurd obsession with denuclearizing us, acknowledges reality, and seeks genuine peaceful coexistence, there is no reason for us not to sit down with the United States.”

The North Korean leader then added, “Personally, I still have fond memories of the current President of the United States, [Donald] Trump.”

According to Reuters, this is the first time Kim has mentioned Trump by name since he entered office in January.

Despite signaling his openness to dialogue with the U.S., Kim’s speech took a much harsher tone on South Korea and said: “We will never sit down with South Korea” and never seek unification with “a country that entrusts its politics and defense to a foreign power.”

How Has South Korea Reacted To Kim’s Remarks?

The South Korean president’s office on Monday told Yonhap News that Seoul is willing to support talks between the U.S. and North Korea, and “work to ease tensions and build trust…in order to overcome hostility between the two Koreas and move toward peaceful relations.” However, the South Korean official insisted that a denuclearized Korean peninsula remains their primary goal, despite Kim’s comments. “We will continue efforts to establish peace on the Korean Peninsula free of nuclear weapons,” the statement said.

When Could A Trump-Kim Meeting Happen?

While neither side has indicated that talks may happen soon, South Korea is set to host the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 2025 Summit in the city of Gyeongju late next month. While Kim is not scheduled to attend this meeting, Yonhap notes that his overture could set the stage for Trump meeting the North Korean leader along the inter-Korean border, similar to their 2019 summit.

What Do We Know About Trump’s Previous Meetings With Kim?

The U.S. President and the North Korean leaders met three times during Trump’s first term. The first meeting took place in Singapore in 2018, and it was the first-ever meeting between the leaders of the two countries. During the meeting, the two sides signed a joint statement agreeing to establish peaceful relations and a commitment “to work towards the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.” The second summit took place in February 2019, in Hanoi, Vietnam, but it was cut short, and no agreement was reached. Trump said this was because Pyongyang demanded that all sanctions against it must be lifted. The two leaders met again in June 2019, in Panmunjom, which sits within the demilitarized zone that separates the two Koreas. While greeting Kim, Trump briefly stepped into North Korean territory to pose for a photo, becoming the first-ever U.S. President to do so.