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Trump eyes Kim meeting
U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday he expects to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un later this year, telling reporters at the White House, "Yeah, I will be."
“"Yeah, I will be."”
Trump also said Pyongyang has 57 "very powerful" nuclear weapons, adding that "He has 57 very powerful nuclear weapons" and "Should have never allowed it to happen."
The remarks came after Trump ordered Pentagon officials to cut short joint military exercises with South Korea, which he said sent a message to Pyongyang that was "totally inappropriate and hostile."
Reuters reported that Trump said on Monday he had received a response from Kim following his attempts to reengage, while the Wall Street Journal reported he was pushing aides to arrange an in-person meeting with Kim as soon as this autumn.
In parallel, Kim Yo Jong said Wednesday she was unaware of any recent communications between the two leaders, while maintaining that the relationship between them remains "excellent."
Kim Yo Jong disputes talks
Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of Kim Jong Un, cast doubt on Trump’s claims of secret US-North Korea talks, saying, "I know absolutely nothing about it."
In a statement carried by North Korean state media, Kim Yo Jong said the United States’ hostile policy toward the DPRK "has not changed" and that the US and its followers are "vigorously carrying out hostile military activities" against the DPRK.
Trump, for his part, told reporters he gets along with Kim, saying, "The fact that I get along with him - that's a good thing, not a bad thing."
The Guardian reported that Trump had suggested on Tuesday that he and Kim were holding secret negotiations after announcing the US would downgrade its participation in military exercises held by South Korea, a US ally.
Reuters added that Kim Yo Jong said she was unaware of recent communications even as she said the leaders’ relationship was "truly great" while Washington still carried out drills with Seoul.
APEC trip and regional fallout
Trump’s comments were linked to a potential meeting during his trip to Asia for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen, China in November, with the Wall Street Journal reporting he was eying a meeting then.
“Shenzhen, China, in November”
Yonhap reported that Trump made the remarks during a press availability at the White House a day after the Wall Street Journal reported he was pushing aides for a meeting with Kim that could happen during his next trip to Asia when APEC takes place in Shenzhen, China in November.
The Reuters account tied the renewed focus on Kim to Trump’s decision to scale back joint US-South Korean military drills, which he said were "totally inappropriate and hostile" to a country he described as "unthreatening and respectful."
Al Jazeera reported that North Korea said Wednesday that a US decision to scale back military exercises with South Korea does not change what it sees as the provocative nature of the drills.
Al Jazeera also quoted Yong-Chool Ha saying Trump may want to put pressure on South Korea after Seoul’s reluctance to cooperate with the US in the Iran war, framing it as "tit-for-tat diplomacy" despite the alliance.
