US President Donald Trump has said he expects to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un later this year, raising hopes of renewed diplomatic engagement between Washington and Pyongyang. Trump made the comments on Wednesday as he discussed his efforts to rebuild communication with the North Korean leader.
Trump said he had received a response from Kim after attempting to restart contact. Reports have suggested that US officials are working toward arranging a possible face-to-face meeting as early as this autumn.
The comments came shortly after Trump ordered Pentagon officials to shorten joint military exercises with South Korea. He described the drills as inappropriate and hostile toward North Korea, saying Pyongyang had recently been respectful and unthreatening.
Kim Jong Un’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, said she was not aware of recent communications between the two leaders. However, she acknowledged that the relationship between Trump and Kim had been positive in the past while criticizing continued military exercises involving Washington and Seoul.
Trump and Kim held several historic meetings during Trump’s first presidency in 2018 and 2019. Their diplomatic efforts eventually stalled because of disagreements over North Korea’s nuclear weapons program. Trump has since described North Korea as a nuclear power, although the US continues to call for denuclearization.
Trump also claimed that North Korea possesses 57 nuclear weapons, a figure that has not been confirmed by the US government. Independent assessments have estimated that Pyongyang may have around 50 to 60 assembled warheads, with additional material available for more.
A new meeting could mark a significant attempt to revive diplomacy between the two countries and could place North Korea’s nuclear program at the center of renewed negotiations.
