KIM Jong-un said he would be open to meeting again with Donald Trump, but only if is allowed to keep hold of his deadly nukes.
The North Korean leader also said he has “fond memories” of talks with Trump – who has been open about his intention to rekindle things with “the little rocket man”.
AFPKim Jong-un said he has ‘fond memories’ of meeting Trump[/caption]
APThe pair of leaders shook hands in the demilitarized zone in 2019[/caption]
Kim has repeatedly refused to abandon his nuclear programme
Trump and Kim previously held a good working relationship, meeting three times during the President’s first term.
They famously even shook hands in the Korean demilitarized zone before it collapsed in 2019.
The pair eventually fell out over the US’s demands that North Korean abandons its nuclear programme.
In August, however, Trump revealed that he wants to meet Kim again – and claimed to know him “better than anybody”.
Now, it seems Kim is also open to firing up the bromance again – but not without strings attached.
He said: “If the United States discards its delusional obsession with denuclearisation and, based on recognising reality, truly wishes for peaceful coexistence with us, then there is no reason we cannot meet it.
“I still personally hold fond memories of the current US president, Trump.”
Trump previously called Kim “Little Rocket Man” for blasting off so many missile tests.
Though he now insists that Kim is firing fewer rockets, he still hopes to convince him to denuclearise his arsenal.
This is likely to prove a continued sticking point, however, as Kim still says it is “absolutely, absolutely impossible” to give up the stock of deadly nukes.
He added: “The world already knows well what the United States does after it forces a country to give up its nuclear arms and disarm.
“We will never give up our nuclear weapons.”
In 2018, Kim offered to close his largest nuclear plant in return for the UN partially removing its economic sanctions.
Trump walked away, however, insisting on an “all or nothing” agreement towards total denuclearisation, and the pair failed to reach a deal.
Since then Kim has ramped up nuclear production to as many as 20 new warheads a year, according to South Korea.
Kim also said he had “no reason to sit down with South Korea”, which has become its main enemy, even as the new President Lee Jae-myung has tried to ease tensions.
Kim said: “We make it clear that we will not deal with them in any form.”
Virutally all dialogue between North and South Korea was severed by Pyongyang following the collapse of talks with Trump in February 2019.
Last month, Kim fondly recalled the last time he met Kim in 2019 at the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) that separates the Koreas – and said everyone went “crazy”.
He said: “Remember when I walked across the line and everyone went crazy?
“But I loved it.”
KCNAKim still insists that he will never give up North Korea’s nuclear arsenal[/caption]