North Korea has recently issued a sharp criticism of former President Donald Trump, dismissing his claims of a close relationship with the country's leader, Kim Jong-un.
The state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) has stated, "we do not care" about the former Republican president's assertions of a friendly rapport with Kim. This statement was made in response to Trump's recent comments suggesting that U.S.-North Korea relations would improve if he were to be re-elected in the upcoming November elections.
According to The Independent, the KCNA editorial dismissed the notion that Trump's first term had a significant impact on the relationship between the two nations. The state news agency emphasized, "No matter what administration takes office in the US, the political climate, which is confused by the infighting of the two parties, does not change and, accordingly, we do not care about this." The editorial further clarified that personal connections and diplomacy should be considered separately. The North Korean agency also expressed its disinterest in engaging with a potential second Trump administration if it only offered "dialogue with sinister attempts and dialogue as an extension of confrontation."
Trump, speaking at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, boasted about his supposedly strong personal ties with Kim, even suggesting that the North Korean leader probably wanted him back in the White House. "I think he misses me," the former president said. However, the North Korean news agency, while acknowledging Trump's efforts to improve relations during his presidency, stated that it brought no substantial positive change.
The relationship between Trump and Kim has been complex and fraught with tension. Initially, the two leaders exchanged harsh words, with Trump threatening to unleash "fire and fury" after Kim tested a series of nuclear weapons in 2017. In response, the KCNA labeled him a "dotard" and his envoys "gangsters". However, a seemingly historic diplomatic breakthrough occurred in 2018, with summits held in Singapore and Hanoi over the next two years.
During the 2018 summit in Singapore, Trump and Kim signed a statement agreeing to work towards the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and improving relations. However, the engagement declined after the 2019 Hanoi summit ended abruptly without an agreement, primarily due to differences over sanctions relief and denuclearization steps.
Trump has claimed that he and Kim had been exchanging letters and had fallen in love. However, since President Joe Biden took office in early 2021, Washington has strengthened ties with long-time allies South Korea and Japan, conducting regular defensive drills in the Korean Peninsula rather than engaging directly with the Kim regime. This shift in policy underscores the complexities and challenges of U.S.-North Korea relations, regardless of the personal rapport claimed by individual leaders.
Login