North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has expressed willingness to engage in talks with the United States, provided that Washington drops its demand for Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear weapons. In a recent speech to the Supreme People’s Assembly, Kim stated that if the US accepts reality and seeks genuine peaceful coexistence, there’s no reason why the two nations can’t meet. This development comes after Kim met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing for a military parade marking 80 years since the end of World War II.
Kim’s comments also revealed his personal fondness for former US President Donald Trump, with whom he had three high-profile summits during Trump’s first term. “Personally, I still have fond memories of US President Trump,” Kim said, according to the official Korean Central News Agency. Despite their past meetings, North Korea’s stance on denuclearization remains unchanged, with Kim reiterating that his country will never give up its nuclear arsenal.
The North Korean leader’s willingness to talk comes as South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has expressed openness to negotiating his country’s stance on North Korea’s nuclear weapons. Lee suggested a more realistic goal of North Korea agreeing to stop acquiring more nuclear weapons, rather than continuing with “fruitless attempts” at making it give up its existing arsenal. Meanwhile, Trump is expected to visit South Korea next month for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC) in the southern city of Gyeongju.
