Pyongyang: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has expressed his willingness to engage in talks with the United States, provided that Washington abandons its demand for denuclearization, as reported by state-run media on Monday. Kim conveyed this stance during a speech at a session of the Supreme People's Assembly in Pyongyang on Sunday.
According to Kuwait News Agency, Kim mentioned his positive personal memories of U.S. President Donald Trump, highlighting that this was his first direct reference to Trump since the start of Trump's second term in January. Despite this openness to dialogue, Kim made it clear that Pyongyang would not relinquish its nuclear arsenal and would not trade its nuclear capabilities for sanctions relief.
In terms of inter-Korean relations, Kim dismissed the idea of dialogue with Seoul and reiterated that unification was "unnecessary." He maintained his previous position of defining South Korea as the "principal enemy" in the constitution. Kim stated, "From the standpoint of national interests, we have no intention of reunifying with a country that has entrusted politics and defense to foreign powers."
The prospect of further engagement with Kim was also a topic of interest for President Trump. During a meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung in late August, Trump expressed his desire to meet Kim as soon as possible. Kim and Trump previously held summit talks in Singapore in 2018, as well as in Hanoi and at the truce village of Panmunjeom in 2019.