South Korean President Moon Jae-in said that US President Donald Trump told him he has a “very friendly view” of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and wants to grant his wishes if he denuclearizes.
North Korea has sought security guarantees from the US and relief from international sanctions.
Moon’s office quoted Moon as saying that Trump asked him to convey those messages to the North Korean leader if he visits Seoul this year as he promised.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Moon spoke to reporters on Saturday aboard his presidential plane en route to New Zealand from Argentina, where he met Trump on the sidelines of a G20 summit.
“President Trump asked me to forward to [Kim] these messages: He has a very friendly view of Chairman Kim Jong-un and likes him; he hopes to fully carry out the remaining agreements [from their June summit in Singapore] together with him so that he will make Chairman Kim Jong-un get what he wants,” Moon said.
Moon said he and Trump agreed during their meeting that Kim’s trip to Seoul would play a “very positive role” in US-North Korean nuclear diplomacy.
Photo: AP
Moon said that it was still unclear whether Kim would visit Seoul by the end of the year and that it was up to the North Korean leader.
Moon, who has facilitated a series of high-level talks between the US and North Korea, including the Trump-Kim summit, has met Kim three times this year.
After their third meeting in Pyongyang in September, Moon said Kim agreed to make a reciprocal visit to Seoul this year.
Their two previous summits were held at the countries’ shared border village of Panmunjom.
If Kim, a third-generation hereditary ruler, visits Seoul, he would be the first North Korean leader do so since the end of the Korean War.
Moon said a visit would convey Kim’s commitment to nuclear disarmament, better inter-Korean relations and world peace.
Trump said on Air Force One while returning to Washington from Argentina that his next meeting with Kim would likely happen in January or February.
He said there were three sites under consideration, but declined to name them.
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