Trump: "Will Meet Kim Jong Un by Year's End" ... "North Has 57 Nuclear Weapons"

Following UFS Reduction Order, Trump Sends Conciliatory Message Toward North Korea
WSJ: "Pushing for a Summit as Early as This Fall"
Trump: "I Get Along Well with Kim Jong Un"

U.S. President Donald Trump stated on the 19th (local time) that he would meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un within this year. Following his recent instruction to scale back joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States and his repeated emphasis on his relationship with Kim, his direct confirmation of a summit this year has further raised the possibility of resuming summit-level diplomacy between North Korea and the United States.

During a press meeting at the White House that day, President Trump was asked whether he anticipated meeting Kim within the year. He replied, "Yes. I will be."

U.S. President Donald Trump. The White House

If a North Korea-U.S. summit is held within this year, there is speculation that the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, scheduled for November 18-19 in Shenzhen, China, could serve as an occasion for the meeting. The Chinese government has officially announced that the 2026 APEC summit will be held in Shenzhen during this period.

President Trump has recently taken a series of actions with a view to resuming dialogue with Kim. On the 16th, he announced that he had instructed the U.S. Department of Defense (the Department of War) to significantly reduce the scale of Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS), a joint annual military exercise between South Korea and the U.S., sending a conciliatory message toward Kim. The decision to revive the drill reduction card comes as North Korea's military capabilities have grown significantly since the previous round of North Korea-U.S. summit diplomacy.

Meanwhile, on the 18th, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that President Trump had instructed his aides to pursue ways to meet Kim as early as this fall. If President Trump visits Asia in November, there are discussions about meeting Kim on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Shenzhen. However, it was reported that as of yet, specific preparations for a summit had not officially started.

When asked whether he had recently exchanged letters with Kim, President Trump responded, "I can't say that," but added, "But I get along very well with him. The fact that I get along with him is not a bad thing; it is a good thing."

Of particular note was President Trump’s reference to North Korea’s number of nuclear weapons with a specific figure. Speaking about Kim, President Trump said, "He has 57 very powerful nuclear weapons." It is unusual for President Trump to mention the specific number of North Korea's nuclear weapons so publicly.

This comment could be interpreted as suggesting that future North Korea-U.S. negotiations may proceed with North Korea's nuclear capabilities being acknowledged as an existing reality. However, it is unclear what information or assessment underlies President Trump’s figure of "57." The WSJ also reported that North Korea is estimated to have dozens of nuclear warheads at present.

President Trump criticized the previous Joe Biden administration by saying, “That should never have been allowed to happen in the first place. If I had been President, I would never have allowed it.” He then emphasized, “But now that he has those weapons, I am getting along with him very well.”

He also made comments comparing Iran and North Korea. President Trump stated, "We cannot allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons," but also said, "I know Kim Jong Un very well, and he will be fine."

He went on to say, "As long as the United States has a smart President, he will be fine. But if there is a stupid President, perhaps he won’t be so fine."

This is interpreted as emphasizing that, even as North Korea possesses considerable nuclear capability, President Trump believes he can manage the nuclear threat through his personal relationship with Kim.

With President Trump publicly confirming his intention to hold a summit within the year, attention is now focused on whether Kim Jong Un will respond. While President Trump has repeatedly made conciliatory statements toward North Korea, Pyongyang has yet to issue any official position on the possibility of a North Korea-U.S. summit.

The WSJ projected that, as North Korea’s nuclear and missile capabilities have advanced significantly since the last round of North Korea-U.S. summit diplomacy in 2019, any future talks will take place under much more challenging conditions for denuclearization negotiations.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.