Washington: US President Donald Trump has said he intends to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un later this year, describing their relationship as a good one.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said he knows Kim Jong Un very well and suggested that the two leaders could meet again during the year.
According to the British news agency, Trump said he had a strong personal relationship with the North Korean leader. He also indicated that maintaining communication with Kim was a positive development rather than something that should be viewed negatively.
“I know Kim Jong Un very well,” Trump said, according to the report, while discussing the possibility of renewed engagement with North Korea.
Trump has previously met Kim Jong Un in several high-profile diplomatic encounters. Their meetings represented an unusual period of direct engagement between a sitting US president and the North Korean leader, particularly given the longstanding tensions surrounding North Korea’s nuclear and missile programmes.
The two leaders first held a historic summit in Singapore in 2018, followed by another summit in Hanoi in 2019. They also met at the Korean Demilitarized Zone later in 2019.
Trump’s latest remarks suggest that he remains interested in maintaining direct communication with Kim. His comments also indicate that personal relations between the two leaders continue to play a role in his approach towards North Korea.
Trump said his relationship with Kim was a positive thing. He argued that having a good relationship with the North Korean leader could be beneficial rather than harmful, particularly when dealing with sensitive security and diplomatic issues.
The prospect of another meeting comes amid continuing international concerns over North Korea’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes. Pyongyang has continued to develop its military capabilities, while Washington and its allies have repeatedly called for progress towards denuclearisation.
A meeting between Trump and Kim would therefore attract considerable international attention. Any direct talks could potentially address nuclear weapons, missile testing, regional security and broader relations between Washington and Pyongyang.
However, Trump did not provide specific details about when or where a meeting could take place. He also did not outline what issues would form the central focus of any potential discussions.
The US president’s comments nevertheless signal that he remains open to high-level engagement with Pyongyang. His emphasis on his personal relationship with Kim reflects his previous preference for leader-to-leader diplomacy in dealing with North Korea.
Trump also said that Kim would remain “fine” as long as the United States had a sensible president, framing the relationship in terms of leadership and personal diplomacy.
The possibility of another Trump-Kim meeting could mark a significant development in US-North Korea relations if it materialises. Their previous encounters demonstrated that direct communication at the highest level is possible, although those talks did not produce a comprehensive agreement on North Korea’s nuclear programme.
For now, Trump has expressed his intention to meet Kim Jong Un this year and has stressed that he considers their relationship to be strong. Whether the proposed meeting actually takes place will depend on diplomatic preparations and the positions adopted by Washington and Pyongyang in the coming months.
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