Trump: I like Kim Jong Un despite North Korea's nuclear arsenal
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US President Donald Trump said that despite North Korea's large nuclear arsenal, he feels personal sympathy for its leader Kim Jong Un — according to Trump, Kim “respects and loves” him. The American president made the comments to reporters while discussing North Korea's nuclear program.
“As long as I'm here, things will be fine with Kim. You know why? He respects me and he loves me,” Trump said. He also criticized previous US administrations, which, he said, failed to stop North Korea from developing nuclear weapons. “Kim has nuclear capability, […] quite a large nuclear capability, not like ours, but he has it. And you know why? Because American presidents didn't do what I'm doing […] It could still have been stopped,” he added.
How many warheads does North Korea have
North Korea has spent many years seeking international recognition as a nuclear power. Trump previously said the country had produced 57 nuclear weapons. However, according to South Korea's Ministry of Defense, North Korea's actual arsenal is significantly larger, ranging from 80 to 120 warheads.
The American president also emphasized his personal friendship with the North Korean leader. “He's my friend. He doesn't like many other people, but he likes me. I'm probably the only person in the world he likes, and I like him too,” Trump said, adding: “When I say that, I get criticized harshly. People say it's terrible.”
A possible new meeting with Kim Jong Un
The White House chief's remarks about his personal ties with Kim came amid reports that Trump would like to meet the North Korean leader in person before the end of this year. According to available information, such a meeting could take place in November, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in the Chinese city of Shenzhen.
During his first presidential term, Trump met Kim Jong Un in person three times: in June 2018 in Singapore, in February 2019 in Hanoi, and in June 2019 in the border village of Panmunjom on the border between North and South Korea.
Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz
