Trump confirms he will meet Kim: 'I get along very well with him. He has 57 very powerful nuclear weapons'
Hours after ordering a dramatic reduction in joint military exercises between the US and South Korean armies so as not to anger North Korea's ruler, the US president confirmed reports that he intends to meet with the dictator from Pyongyang
US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that he plans to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, stating that the two "get along very well" and that Kim possesses 57 "very powerful nuclear weapons." Trump, who had previously ordered a significant reduction in annual military exercises with South Korea, explained that his decision was due to the "inappropriate and hostile" nature of the drills towards Pyongyang, which he claimed has shown respect since Trump took office.
The shortened exercise was met with astonishment in South Korea, where the government and U.S. officials were unaware of the change. Trump's statement comes after the Wall Street Journal reported that he is seeking to arrange a meeting in the fall, possibly during the APEC summit in China. Kim's regime, however, has not publicly indicated a positive response to the meeting proposal, continuing to condemn the U.S. military drills and stating that Pyongyang will defend itself against threats.
Written by urgent.news from Ynetnews's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
