U.S. President Donald Trump said he responded to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s request to meet with him. Trump rejected a journalist’s suggestion that Kim Jong-un had not responded.
When the journalist repeated the question, Trump said, “Yes, he responded.”
Trump describes his relationship with Kim Jong-un
Trump said Kim Jong-un had always shown him great respect and that he had previously held two major meetings with the North Korean leader. The U.S. president said, “I understand him, and he understands me.”
Reducing joint exercises
Trump’s remarks came a day after he instructed the Pentagon to “significantly reduce” planned joint military exercises with South Korea.
The president cited the cost of the exercises and his relationship with Kim Jong-un among the reasons for the decision.
Trump criticizes Seoul’s Iran policy
Trump also linked his decision to a separate conversation with South Korea. He said he asked South Korean President Lee Jae Myung whether Seoul would join Washington’s efforts to deprive Iran of nuclear weapons, and that Lee responded, “No, thank you.”
Criticizing South Korea for not supporting the United States on Iran, Trump questioned why Washington should spend billions of dollars defending the country, a longtime U.S. ally. Trump also said that 39,000 U.S. troops were stationed in South Korea to protect the country from Kim Jong-un.
Criticizing South Korea for not supporting the operation in Iran, which he described as “very easy,” the president said, “Then why do we continue to help you?”