Washington: U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Monday his desire to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un again within the year, during discussions with South Korea’s new leader, Lee Jae Myung, at the White House. The meeting got off to an awkward start as Trump criticized what he described as a “Purge or Revolution” in South Korea, related to raids involving churches, shortly before Lee’s arrival.
According to Ethiopian News Agency, Trump, in an Oval Office meeting lasting forty minutes, dismissed his earlier criticism as a misunderstanding, attributing it to circulating rumors. Trump expressed confidence in being aligned with Lee on the approach to North Korea. Lee, a proponent of diplomacy, praised Trump, who has previously met Kim Jong Un three times, and emphasized his unique relationship with the North Korean leader.
Trump expressed optimism about future talks, stating his eagerness to meet Kim Jong Un again, acknowledging their past interactions as productive. He noted a decrease in North Korean rocket activity since resuming office on January 20. While Trump claims to have resolved multiple conflicts since returning to power, his earlier diplomatic efforts with North Korea have not resulted in a lasting agreement.
During his presidency, Trump characterized his relationship with Kim as affectionate, though subsequent diplomatic efforts under former President Joe Biden were rebuffed by Pyongyang. Currently, North Korea remains firm on maintaining its nuclear weapons program, possibly emboldened by its support from Russia amid the conflict in Ukraine, which included sending troops to the region.