President Donald Trump is still open to meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to achieve denuclearization, as stated by the White House. The White House official mentioned that President Trump had successful summits with Kim Jong Un in the past, stabilizing the Korean Peninsula and reaching an agreement on denuclearization.
Kim Yo Jong, Kim Jong Un’s influential sister, acknowledged that relations between Trump and her brother are decent but cautioned against pressuring North Korea to denuclearize. She emphasized that any such pressure would not be taken seriously.
In remarks reported by state media, Kim Yo Jong mentioned that North Korea’s nuclear arsenal had grown substantially since the last meeting with Trump. She stated that any future summit focusing on nuclear disarmament would not be feasible.
During his first term, Trump met with Kim Jong Un in Singapore, Hanoi, and at the Korean Demilitarized Zone. They signed a joint statement in 2018 committing to work towards denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and establishing new relations between the U.S. and North Korea.
Subsequent talks between the two leaders did not lead to a resolution. North Korea did not give up its nuclear weapons, and the U.S. did not lift sanctions. The stalemate resulted in North Korea resuming weapons testing in 2020.
In a statement marking the 72nd anniversary of the end of the Korean War, Trump mentioned his meetings with Kim Jong Un and expressed pride in being the first sitting President to set foot in North Korea. He also reaffirmed the alliance between the U.S. and South Korea against the ongoing threat of communism in Asia.
