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The US demand to give up banned weapons has been a sticking point in the relations between Washington and Pyongyang.
US President Donald Trump meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas, in Panmunjom, South Korea. (IMAGE: REUTERS FILE)
Kim Jong Un, the North Korean dictator, said that he has “fond memories” of US President Donald Trump and is open to future talks with the United States but outlined that there should be no chatter with respect to denuclearization.
“If the United States discards its delusional obsession with denuclearisation and, based on recognising reality, truly wishes for peaceful coexistence with us, then there is no reason we cannot meet it,” Kim said, according to the official Korean Central News Agency.
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“I still personally hold fond memories of the current US president, Trump,” Kim added, in a wide-ranging speech to the country’s rubber-stamp parliament.
Kim and Trump met thrice for high-profile summits during Trump’s first term but talks broke down in Hanoi in 2019 over what concessions Pyongyang was prepared to make on its nuclear arsenal, according to a report by news agency AFP.
Washington’s demand that the North Korean leader give up his nukes has been a sticking point in its relations with Pyongyang and Kim reiterated that denuclearisation was not an option.
Since the failed 2019 summit, North Korea has repeatedly said it will never give up its nuclear weapons and declared itself an “irreversible” nuclear state.
Kim “The world already knows well what the United States does after it forces a country to give up its nuclear arms and disarm,” he said.
“We will never give up our nuclear weapons.”
Kim said that sanctions had only helped the North in “growing stronger, building endurance and resistance that cannot be crushed by any pressure”.
Kim also added that he had “no reason to sit down with South Korea”, even as Seoul’s new President Lee Jae-myung has sought to ease tensions with the North.
“We make it clear that we will not deal with them in any form,” he said.
North Korea has in recent years declared the South its principal enemy and blown up rail links and roads connecting the two countries.
About the Author
Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a senior subeditor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over five years of experience during which he has covered sev…Read More
Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a senior subeditor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over five years of experience during which he has covered sev… Read More
Pyongyang, North Korea
September 22, 2025, 10:12 IST
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