President Donald Trump told reporters Wednesday that he plans to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un this year and praised the authoritarian leader as “well behaved.”
Trump confirmed the plans after a reporter asked whether he was expecting to meet with Kim following a White House meeting with leaders of technology and cryptocurrency executives.
“Yeah, I will be,” the president replied.
No date has been set for the meeting, and Trump did not disclose where it would take place. The White House declined further comment and referred MS NOW to Trump’s earlier remarks.
Despite revealing plans for the meeting, Trump still criticized North Korea for its nuclear weapons arsenal.
“He has 57 very powerful nuclear weapons,” Trump said of Kim. “Should have never allowed it to happen, they should never have allowed it — if I were president, I never would have allowed it.”
Trump did not answer directly when later asked later by a reporter whether he was trying to engage Kim about denuclearization, but he noted that he does have “a good relationship with Kim Jong Un.”
“He didn’t like Biden. He didn’t like Obama. He didn’t like anybody, but he likes me,” Trump continued,” adding “I just got along with him very good.”
Trump’s remarks come days after he ordered the Pentagon to significantly reduce the U.S.’ joint military drills with South Korea, a U.S. ally, earlier this week. On Tuesday, Trump described the drills as “totally inappropriate and hostile” and dismissed concerns of potential threats from North Korea.
Trump reasserted that sentiment again Wednesday, saying the drills were “very insulting to somebody that, frankly, has been during my term, at least, very well behaved,” referring to the North Korean dictator.
Trump also criticized South Korea for not assisting the U.S. with efforts to restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz amid the U.S.-Israel war with Iran.
Meanwhile, members of Trump’s administration, including Adm. Frank Bradley and Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby, are visiting the Indo-Pacific this month, with stops in Seoul, Manila and Tokyo, to reassure U.S. allies of the administration’s commitment to them.
The president is expected to travel to Asia for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen, China, in November.
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