Trump floats outreach to Kim Jong-un, calls N. Korea ‘big nuclear nation'
US President Donald Trump on Monday suggested the possibility of renewing diplomacy with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sometime, saying the two would 'do something at some point' and acknowledging communication with North Korea, which he described as a 'big nuclear nation.'
'We met, and we have a great relationship. And there is communication. I think it's very important,' Trump told the media when asked whether he plans to reach out to Kim, as he did with the leaders of Russia, China and Iran. 'It's a big nuclear nation, and he's a very smart guy. I got to know him very well.'
Trump also hinted at eventually reviving his leader-level diplomacy, which was central to his North Korea policy during his first term.
'But I have a very good relationship with him. We'll probably do something at some point," Trump said from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington.
Trump's description of North Korea as a 'big nuclear nation' followed his earlier remarks labeling Kim Jong-un a 'nuclear power' on two occasions since his inauguration on Jan. 20 — first during his Inauguration Day press conference, and again ahead of his bilateral meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on March 13.
The last time Trump referred to North Korea as a nuclear power, he notably drew a parallel with de facto nuclear weapons states like India and Pakistan. Trump said in mid-March, 'Kim Jong-un has a lot of nuclear weapons, by the way — a lot — and others do also. You have India. You have Pakistan. You have others that have them, and we'd get them involved' in nuclear reduction talks, along with China and Russia, which are recognized nuclear weapons states under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Speaking to the media in the Oval Office on Monday, Trump also recalled how his initially sour relationship with Kim transformed into a positive one after a rocky start.
"I do — I have a very good relationship with Kim Jong-un. Now, you people hate to hear that, but it's very important. I got along with him fantastically," Trump said. "As you know, it started off very rough — very nasty. 'Little Rocket Man,' the whole thing was a nasty deal. And then one day, we got a call that they'd like to meet.'
Trump recounted his last meeting with Kim, a brief one in June 2019 at the Demilitarized Zone that separates the two Koreas in the truce village of Panmunjom.
'I remember, I put my foot across the line — and then I walked across the line. I don't know if the Secret Service was thrilled with that. They actually weren't. They were not too thrilled," according to him.
Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, said there is a good likelihood informal contact would be established with North Korea's UN mission in New York via phone or email. For instance, Richard Grenell — Trump's special presidential envoy for North Korea missions — or Deputy National Security Adviser Alex Wong, who was directly engaged in talks with North Korea during Trump's first term, could serve as a liaison.
'President Trump's message to North Korea at this particular moment appears to be to encourage Pyongyang to more actively engage in dialogue," Yang said.
However, Yang added that Trump's action may be aimed at managing North Korea not too far from tilting toward Russia or China, especially amidst speculations on Kim Jong-un potentially attending Russia's May Victory Day parade and potential North Korea-China alignment to contain the US.
"In light of Trump's pressing priorities such as the escalating tariff war and negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, we cannot rule out the possibility that Trump's gesture was intended to prevent North Korea from leaning too closely toward Russia or China."
The Unification Ministry on Tuesday said the South Korean government 'would of course welcome if dialogue between North Korea and the US proceeds in a direction that contributes to North Korea's denuclearization.'
'North Korea's complete denuclearization is the unified goal of South Korea, the US, and the international community,' a senior Unification Ministry said on condition of anonymity in response to Trump's remarks.
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