North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has once again called on the United States to abandon its long-standing demand for denuclearization, saying he still holds “good personal memories” of former U.S. President Donald Trump. Kim stated that there would be “no reason not to” resume dialogue with Washington if the U.S. gives up what he called its “delusional obsession” with disarming North Korea’s nuclear arsenal.
Speaking at a recent parliamentary session in Pyongyang, Kim declared that North Korea will never give up its nuclear weapons. He warned that history has shown what happens to countries that disarm under U.S. pressure, suggesting that nuclear weapons are the North’s ultimate safeguard.
He also made it clear that Pyongyang will not engage in negotiations with South Korea, a key U.S. ally, and emphasized that sanctions relief would not be traded for nuclear concessions. Relations with Seoul collapsed after the failed Trump-Kim summit in 2019, and tensions have since risen with Kim accelerating weapons development while aligning more closely with Russia during the Ukraine war.
Kim’s comments come just as South Korean President Lee Jae Myung prepares to address the U.N. General Assembly, where nuclear tensions on the Korean Peninsula are expected to be a major focus. Meanwhile, Donald Trump is scheduled to visit South Korea next month for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, sparking speculation about a possible symbolic meeting between Trump and Kim at the inter-Korean border.
In recent years, North Korea has expanded its weapons testing program, unveiling missiles capable of striking both regional U.S. allies and the American mainland. Analysts believe Kim’s strategy is to pressure Washington into recognizing North Korea as a nuclear power and negotiating from a position of strength.
To bolster his leverage, Kim has strengthened ties with Russia and China, sending troops and military supplies to support Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine and appearing alongside both Putin and Xi Jinping during a military parade in Beijing earlier this month. Experts suggest these moves are part of a broader effort to weaken U.S. influence and secure greater bargaining power in any future negotiations.
South Korea, however, is increasingly worried about being sidelined in nuclear talks. Last year, Kim formally abandoned North Korea’s long-standing goal of peaceful unification with the South and even revised the country’s constitution to designate Seoul as a permanent adversary.
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