Trump Re-engages With Kim Jong Un, Declaring the North Korean Leader a 'Friend' Despite Nuclear Arsenal Concerns

United States President Donald Trump met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas, in Panmunjoon, South Korea, on June 30, 2019.

United States President Donald Trump has described North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as “a friend” and played down concerns regarding Pyongyang’s nuclear arsenal, stating that “as long as I’m around, he’s going to be fine”. Trump made these comments in Washington, DC, on Tuesday after a reporter questioned why North Korea was permitted to have nuclear weapons while Iran was not.

“That’s interesting. You know why? Because you had a different president, and they could have stopped him,” Trump stated, referencing previous US administrations. “He happens to be a friend of mine, Kim Jong Un, he’s a friend of mine. He likes Trump, doesn’t like a lot of other people. I’m about the only person in the entire world that he likes, and I like him.”

Trump acknowledged that North Korea’s nuclear capacity was “pretty large” but remarked that it was “not like us”. He added, “You know what, as long as I’m around, he’s going to be fine. You know why? Because he respects me and he likes me.”

South Korea’s Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back reported last week that the northern neighbour possesses between 80 and 120 nuclear warheads, a figure substantially higher than Trump’s recent assertion that Pyongyang holds 57 nuclear weapons.

Trump is currently seeking to re-engage with Kim and secure a diplomatic achievement on the international stage as the US and Israel’s war on Iran reaches its eighth month. The US president initiated the conflict alongside Israel on February 28, asserting that Iran could not be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon. Iran has denied seeking a nuclear weapon, pointing out that it had signed a 2015 agreement with world powers limiting its nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief—an accord Trump abandoned during his first term in 2018.

The US-Israel conflict against Iran has disrupted global energy supplies, increased fuel costs, and negatively impacted Trump’s popularity ahead of the November midterm elections. Although Trump previously held summits with North Korea’s Kim in 2018 and 2019, negotiations ultimately collapsed over US demands that Pyongyang surrender its nuclear weapons. Since then, Kim has expanded his arsenal of nuclear-capable missiles, strengthened diplomatic ties with Russia regarding its war in Ukraine, and deepened relations with China.

Trump had previously indicated plans to conduct in-person talks with Kim before the end of the year, though North Korea has not yet formally committed to such a meeting.