US President Donald Trump has met his South Korean counterpart at the White House and expressed his willingness to meet North Korea’s Kim Jong Un in an effort to ease the recent diplomatic tensions brewing between the two neighbouring countries.
This meeting comes at a time when the US military and South Korean armed forces are conducting their annual joint military exercises near the North Korean border, which Kim has described as a blatant provocation.
Overseeing the launch of two new air defence missiles last week, Kim said the drills were designed to provoke North Korea and warned that they would respond accordingly.
Trump’s meeting with the new South Korean president, Lee Jae-myung, took place in the Oval Office. Lee requested Trump’s help in de-escalating the situation and urged him to ensure that the frost in diplomatic relations begins to thaw.
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“I look forward to your meeting with leader Kim Jong Un and to the creation of a ‘Trump World’ in North Korea, along with the opportunity to play golf,” Lee said.
He also noted that the North has not only expanded its nuclear capabilities but has also begun to modernise them. Lee expressed confidence that the US president would work towards ensuring a new era of peace between the two nations.
Trump, who has maintained cordial relations with the North Korean leader and held three summits during his first term, promised to meet Kim once again later this year.
“He’d like to meet with me. He didn’t want to meet Biden because he had no respect for him, but we look forward to meeting and improving relations,” Trump said.
He also added that he wants to stop leasing and instead “gain ownership” of the land where US forces are currently stationed in South Korea.
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