President Donald Trump said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent him a “great letter” and that the two men would both like to meet for a second time.
“We’ve really established a very good relationship,’’ Trump said Wednesday during a Cabinet meeting at the White House, a day after Kim threatened to backtrack on promises to give up his nuclear arsenal if the U.S. doesn’t relax sanctions against the country.
Trump said there would have been a “big fat war in Asia” if he hadn’t met with Kim in Singapore last year, and that “they really want to do something” to reduce tensions between the countries. But he added that he’s “not in any rush” to hold a second meeting.
Trump has previously said he plans to hold a second meeting with Kim, though a date and location have not yet been announced. The president claimed after their first summit that the North Korean nuclear threat had been eliminated, but Kim hasn’t gotten rid of the country’s weapons or allowed international inspectors to examine its arsenal.
Kim said in a New Year’s Day address that North Korea would take a “new path” in nuclear talks if the U.S. didn’t relax its sanctions. He also said he’d be willing to meet Trump again. The president responded to a speech with a tweet focusing on the prospect of a second meeting.
“I also look forward to meeting with Chairman Kim who realizes so well that North Korea possesses great economic potential!’’ Trump said.
