US President Donald Trump said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had responded to his efforts to revive direct engagement, although he did not provide details about the nature of the response.
Asked in the Oval Office why Kim had not responded to his overtures, Trump said: “He has.” White House officials and North Korea’s mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately comment.
Trump has shown renewed interest in restoring direct diplomacy with Kim, although relations with the North Korean leader have received less emphasis during his second term than they did during his first presidency.
On Sunday, Trump instructed the Pentagon to “substantially reduce” joint military exercises with South Korea, citing their cost and Seoul’s refusal to participate in actions against Iran. North Korea has long condemned the drills as preparations for war.
Trump and Kim held summits in 2018 and 2019, but negotiations collapsed over Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons programme. North Korea remains under international sanctions over its nuclear and ballistic missile activities.
Since their last meeting in 2019, North Korea has strengthened ties with Russia while maintaining close relations with China. North Korean troops have also supported Russian forces in the war in Ukraine, while Kyiv has accused Moscow of using North Korean-made missiles in attacks.
Despite his administration’s criticism of North Korea’s military support for Russia, Trump said Kim had “always treated me with great respect”, adding that he understood the North Korean leader and believed Kim understood him.
Analysts said another meeting between Trump and Kim remained possible, although North Korea was unlikely to respond immediately to the US president’s overtures.
Victor Cha of the Center for Strategic and International Studies said Pyongyang could wait before responding, while Andrew Yeo of the Brookings Institution said Kim could benefit from another meeting with the US president in terms of international status and recognition.
Former US National Intelligence Officer for North Korea Sydney Seiler said Trump’s decision to scale back military drills was not unprecedented, noting that he had suspended major US-South Korean exercises in 2018 as part of efforts to encourage dialogue with Kim.
