With Donald Trumpโs Asia tour now in full swing, the US President was reportedly eager to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, hoping to rekindle the unusual diplomacy that once grabbed global headlines.
But despite Trumpโs efforts to extend an olive branch, Kim doesnโt seem nearly as eager to meet.
โWe fell in loveโ
Many believed the United States was on the brink of war with North Korea in 2018. But then, something unexpected happened in the relationship with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, President Donald Trump said six years ago, during a rally in Virginia.
โI like him. He likes me. โฆ And then we fell in love. OK? No, really! He wrote me beautiful letters. And theyโre great letters. We fell in love.โ
Then in 2019, cameras shook and flashes went wild as Donald Trump made history โ stepping into enemy territory alongside Kim Jong Un. The thenโ45th U.S. president gave Kim a friendly pat on the arm before the North Korean leader guided him across the line dividing North and South Korea.
And it seems like Donald Trump hasnโt forgotten his old โfriendโ Kim Jong Un.
Before setting off on his latest Asia tour, which includes stops in Malaysia, South Korea, and Japan, the president shared his hopes of meeting the North Korean leader once again.
โIโll be inย South Koreaโ
Speaking aboard Air Force One en route to Malaysia, Trump told reporters.
โI just had a good relationship with him. I would love to see him, if he wants to, if he even gets this message. We havenโt mentioned anything, but he knows Iโm going over there. If heโd like to meet, Iโd love to meet him.โ
Then, with a grin, Trump added a message for the press:
โIf you want to put out the word, Iโm open to it. If he wants to meet, Iโll be inย South Korea.โ
Despite Trumpโs enthusiasm, the response from Pyongyang so far has beenโฆ silence. Both U.S. and South Korean officials confirmed that as of Tuesday, no meeting plans had been made, and Kim Jong Unโs government hasnโt replied to Trumpโs outreach.
Still, Trump appeared hopeful this week. Heโs was reportedly interested in using discussions over international sanctions, imposed on North Korea for its ballistic missile program, as a way to bring Kim back to the table.
โThatโs pretty big to start off with,โ Trump said.
โI would say thatโs about as big as you get.โ
The dictatorโs response
Interestingly, while Kim hasnโt responded directly to Trumpโs latest invitation, the North Korean leader recently hinted that he might be open to a meeting, but only under his own conditions.
According to Korean Central News, Kim said:
โPersonally, I still have fond memories of U.S. President Trump. If the United States drops the absurd obsession with denuclearising us and accepts reality, and wants genuine peaceful coexistence, there is no reason for us not to sit down with the United States.โ
Kim also made it clear he has no interest in dealing with South Korea, a key U.S. ally, calling off any chance of inter-Korean talks for now.
That hasnโt stopped South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, who took office in June after the ousting of Yoon Suk Yeol, from hoping Trumpโs involvement could spark a diplomatic breakthrough. Lee reportedly believes Trump might help cool rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula and prevent further military escalation.
South Koreaโs reunification minister also said there was a โconsiderableโ chance that Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un would meet.
Test-firing cruise missiles
But on Wednesday, Donald Trump confirmed that he was unable to set up a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during his visit to South Korea โ ending days of intense speculation about a possible reunion between the two.
Just hours before Trump arrived in South Korea, Pyongyang announced it had test-fired cruise missiles off its western coast, a move widely seen as a message to what it called the countryโs โenemies.โ
โI know Kim Jong Un very wellโฆ we really werenโt able to work out timing,โ Trump said.
While speaking about regional tensions, Trump added that he hoped to โstraighten outโ relations between North and South Korea during his meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung.
Lee, whose nation remains technically at war with the North, praised Trumpโs outreach to Kim, saying it had created a โsignificant sense of warmth and peace on the Korean peninsula.โ
Earlier that same day, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that he still expects to see Kim again soon.
โAt some point, weโll be involved with North Korea. I think theyโd like to, and Iโd like to,โ he said.
