President Donald Trump said that he plans to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un soon to discuss the denuclearization of the communist regime.
Trump said the dictator sent a letter that included a “small apology” for North Korea’s recent missile tests in addition to complaints about the joint military exercises held by South Korea and the United States. The testing would stop when the exercises stop, Kim apparently wrote.
“In a letter to me sent by Kim Jong Un, he stated, very nicely, that he would like to meet and start negotiations as soon as the joint U.S./South Korea joint exercise are over,” Trump wrote on Twitter early on Aug. 10.
“It was a long letter, much of it complaining about the ridiculous and expensive exercises. It was also a small apology for testing the short-range missiles, and that this testing would stop when the exercises end. I look forward to seeing Kim Jong Un in the not too distant future! A nuclear-free North Korea will lead to one of the most successful countries in the world!”
Trump told reporters on Friday that he received a hand-delivered three-page letter from Kim the day prior, calling it “a very positive letter.”
“It was a great letter. He talked about what he’s doing. He’s not happy with the testing. It’s a very small testing that we did. But he wasn’t happy with the testing; he put that in the letter. But he also sees a great future for North Korea. And so we'll see how it all works out,” the president said, noting he wouldn’t disclose the letter’s exact contents at this time.
“It was hand-delivered and it wasn’t touched by anybody. They literally take it from North Korea to my office. We have a system. It’s the old-fashioned system. You don’t have to worry about leaks. Something nice about that system,” he added.
Trump downplayed the missile tests, saying they weren’t nuclear.
“In the meantime, I say it again: There have been no nuclear tests. The missile tests have all been short-range. No ballistic missile tests. No long-range missiles,” he said.
Trump cited progress between the countries, including North Korea returning three American hostages and beginning to return some of the remains of American troops who died during the Korean War. He said he'd like to end the “war games” that are held by South Korea and the United States, citing their cost.
The country fired two more missiles into the sea on July 31.
“The North’s repeated missile launches are not helpful to efforts to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula, and we urge [North Korea] to stop this kind of behavior,” South Korea said in a statement.
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