Move FM Global News

SEOUL, South Korea: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has signaled that dialogue with the United States remains possible, but only if Washington abandons its demand for Pyongyang’s denuclearization.

Speaking before the Supreme People’s Assembly on September 21, Kim said he would never dismantle his country’s nuclear arsenal in exchange for sanctions relief. However, he left the door open for talks under different terms. His remarks were reported the following day by the state news agency KCNA.

“Personally, I still have fond memories of U.S. President Donald Trump,” Kim said, recalling the three high-profile summits held during Trump’s first presidency. His reference marked the first time since Trump’s return to office in January that Kim has mentioned him by name—a gesture analysts described as a deliberate overture.

Rachel Minyoung Lee of the Stimson Center argued the comments were an invitation for Trump to rethink U.S. policy. “The implication is that if Washington drops its fixation on denuclearization, Kim is prepared to resume direct talks,” she said.

The message came as South Korea’s new liberal government has been urging Trump to re-engage with Pyongyang. President Lee Jae Myung has argued that North Korea’s nuclear capacity—estimated at 15 to 20 new bombs annually—cannot be dismantled overnight. He has proposed a phased approach, beginning with a freeze on production, followed by medium-term arms reduction, and eventually denuclearization once trust and regime security are addressed.

Kim, however, firmly rejected such ideas, dismissing phased negotiations as a disguise for weakening his regime. He pointed to U.S.-South Korean joint military drills, which he described as rehearsals for nuclear war, as evidence of hostile intent. “The world already knows what happens when a country gives up its nuclear weapons,” Kim declared, vowing never to repeat what he sees as the mistakes of others.

Despite crippling U.N. sanctions and international isolation since North Korea’s first nuclear test in 2006, Kim said the pressure campaign had only made his nation “stronger and more resilient.” South Korea’s president countered that sanctions and pressure have worsened the problem rather than solved it, underscoring the need for dialogue.

Yet Kim’s rhetoric made clear that talks would be strictly bilateral with the United States, excluding Seoul. Analysts suggested his warm words for Trump were calculated to bypass South Korea’s involvement and appeal directly to Washington.

Whether Trump accepts the invitation remains uncertain, but Kim’s statement underscores both the enduring centrality of nuclear weapons to Pyongyang’s strategy and his enduring belief that Trump is the only U.S. leader willing to engage him on those terms.