Trump says he will reach out to Kim Jon Un again

Trump says he will reach out to Kim Jon Un again. January. 25, 2025 07:33. by Jin-Woo Shin niceshin@donga.com.
U.S. President Donald Trump stated in an interview with Fox News on Thursday (local time) that he would reach out to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un again. This marks the first time since he campaigned for the presidential election that the president has explicitly mentioned the possibility of renewed U.S.-North Korea summit diplomacy.

"He [Kim Jong Un] is not a religious zealot. He's a smart guy," Trump added during the interview after he noted that negotiations with Iran, driven by intense religious fervor, would be difficult. Trump praised the North Korean leader by portraying Kim as a reasonable negotiation partner. "Obama considered North Korea the greatest threat, but I solved that problem [the North Korean nuclear issue]. I got along well with him [Kim Jong Un]."

Previously, Trump referred to North Korea as a "nuclear power" on the first day of his presidency. Given this, analysts speculate that if Trump's second administration swiftly resumes top-down diplomacy, it might prioritize a "small deal" focused on nuclear arms reduction in exchange for sanctions relief rather than pursuing failed denuclearization talks from his first term.

Trump and Kim held a series of summits during Trump's first term, including one in Singapore in 2018 and another in Hanoi, Vietnam, the following year. They also exchanged 27 letters, dubbed "love letters." After his election victory, Trump said he got along with Kim in his first press conference. On his inauguration day, he added that the North Korean leader would welcome my return. During his inaugural ball, he referred to Kim as a "tough cookie" during a video call with U.S. troops stationed in South Korea.

Before his inauguration, Trump appointed Richard Grenell, former U.S. Ambassador to Germany, as Special Envoy for North Korea and Alex Wong, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for North Korea, as Deputy National Security Advisor at the White House National Security Council (NSC), signaling his intent to pursue summit diplomacy with North Korea.