WASHINGTON – President-elect Donald Trump wants to meet with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un to ease tensions in Korea, but Kim cast doubt on such a meeting occurring, United Press International (UPI) reported.
While Trump and Kim have exchanged friendly letters, Kim ignored president Joe Biden throughout his term in office and recently deployed some 11,000 troops to Russia to assist with that nation’s war against Ukraine.
Some Trump advisers think the president-elect has a better chance of holding meaningful discussions with Kim after taking office in January.
While there is no timeline for potential talks between Trump and Kim, the former thinks the two nearly closed a deal that could have ensured peace in Korea during his first term in office, said Randall Schriver, a former senior defence adviser to Trump.
Trump and Kim met in 2018 in Singapore during the first meeting between the leaders of the United States and North Korea. They also met again a year later in Hanoi, Vietnam, and along the Demilitarised Zone separating North and South Korea. However, the leaders were unable to lay the foundation for an eventual peace accord.
North Korea continued developing long-range missile technology that might one day enable it to target South Korea, Japan and the United States with nuclear warheads.
Kim said he sees no reason to meet with Trump, adding the United States has an “unchanging aggressive and hostile policy” toward North Korea.
UPI reported Kim as saying on Friday that he would continue to develop nuclear technology and missiles capable of delivering nuclear warheads against North Korea’s enemies.
“The US, Japan and South Korea will never get away from the responsibility as the culprits of destroying the peace and stability of the Korean peninsula and the region,” Kim told North Korean army leaders.
“The most important and critical task for our armed forces is preparations for war,” he added.
North Korea launched 45 test missiles this year, including an intercontinental ballistic missile launched on October 31 which travelled 997km. – November 28, 2024