Trump Declares He Will Speak with Kim Jong-un, the Leader of North Korea

Five years after their initial round of conversations garnered international attention but did nothing to lessen Mr. Kim’s escalating nuclear threat, President Donald J. Trump said that he would make contact with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, indicating the potential of resuming their bromance diplomacy.

After stating that he will contact Mr. Kim once again during his second term, Mr. Trump remarked in an interview with Fox News anchor Sean Hannity, “He liked me and I got along with him.” He is not an extreme religious fanatic. He happens to be a smart guy.”

The remarks made by Mr. Trump on Thursday night were the first time since he became office on Monday that he had indicated a desire to resume talks with Mr. Kim. The first-ever summit between Mr. Trump and Mr. Kim, who are still officially at war, took place during his first term. However, when their three high-profile encounters produced no results, their relationship stalled.

It is uncertain if Mr. Kim would react to the overtures this time around, given his newfound confidence in his partnership with Russia and the military developments in his own nation. North Korea’s missile capabilities have increased since Mr. Trump and Mr. Kim last met five years ago, and he may demand a higher price for giving up his nuclear program.

During his campaign, Mr. Trump expressed interest in the North Korean leader, stating once that “it’s nice to get along when somebody has a lot of nuclear weapons.” He also informed reporters that Mr. Kim was “a nuclear power” just hours after taking office, which was a change from Washington’s long-standing denial that North Korea was a nuclear state.

South Korean officials, a U.S. ally embroiled in a domestic political crisis after the impeachment of its leader, have expressed concern that Mr. Trump’s return may send the Korean Peninsula into yet another diplomatic quagmire.

Threats of nuclear war and personal insults were initially exchanged between Mr. Trump and Mr. Kim during his first administration. After shaking hands, they met three times in 2018 and 2019. Mr. Trump once claimed on social media that he “fell in love” with Mr. Kim and that there was “no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea.”

However, those discussions concluded without a consensus on when the United States should relax its sanctions against North Korea or how to curtail the country’s nuclear and ballistic missile development. Mr. Kim has stepped up his efforts to develop and test nuclear-capable missiles and has pledged never to negotiate with Washington again.

Analysts and officials in South Korea are now concerned that Mr. Trump and Mr. Kim may reach an agreement whereby North Korea would relinquish its long-range missiles but not all of its nuclear weapons in return for the lifting of sanctions.

Mr. Trump’s recent claim that North Korea is a nuclear power ran counter to Washington and Seoul’s long-standing understanding that North Korea should never be recognized as such.

Following Mr. Trump’s remark, South Korea’s Defense Ministry issued a statement saying, “We cannot grant North Korea nuclear power status.”

The South Korean military claimed Friday that North Korea was planning to send additional troops to Russia despite suffering significant losses in the battle against Ukraine.

China has traditionally served as the sole significant barrier separating North Korea from international initiatives spearheaded by the United States to curb the military aspirations of its leadership. To protect his nation from pressure from the United States, Mr. Kim has enlisted Moscow as another important friend in exchange for aiding Russia in its conflict against Ukraine.

Before a two-sentence article was released by North Korea’s state media on Wednesday, the country had not responded to Mr. Trump’s election or inauguration.

In the days preceding the inauguration, the government did, however, fire missiles off its east coast. The South Korean military also claims that it is getting ready to fire additional missiles, including long-range ballistic missiles that are strong enough to reach the continental United States and are the ones that most frequently irritate American defense experts.

According to a Friday report by North Korean official media, the country’s parliament approved annual appropriations this week that will “ensure the acceleration of the significant change in the national defense capabilities.”

Hong Min, a senior analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification in Seoul, said that Mr. Kim would probably hold off on responding to Mr. Trump’s proposal until either a Workers’ Party conference in June or another legislative assembly in September.

“After assessing the Trump administration’s level of seriousness, intent, and calculations behind its North Korea strategy,” Mr. Hong stated, “he will respond.”