Donald Trump, confirmed as the Republican candidate for the U.S. presidential election, emphasized his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and expressed confidence in the future of U.S.-North Korea relations. However, North Korea dismissed his comments as foolishness.
North Korea’s state-run media, Korean Central News Agency, commented yesterday on Trump’s mention of Kim during his acceptance speech on the 18th in an article titled “The Future of U.S.-North Korea Relations Depends on American Actions.” This marks the first official response from North Korea since Trump was nominated as the Republican candidate and began frequently mentioning Kim.
The article stated that Trump mentioned in his acceptance speech that he “got along well with them” and that “it’s good to get along with someone who has many nuclear weapons or other things.”
It continued, noting that he appears to inflate hopes for U.S.-North Korea relations. The article added that regardless of which administration takes power in the U.S., the political environment marked by the back-and-forth between the two parties will persist. The article emphasized that they are not concerned about this.
North Korea acknowledged a personal friendship between Trump and Kim, with the article stating that Trump did attempt to reflect this personal rapport in the relations between the two countries during his presidency.
However, the article emphasized that this did not result in substantial positive change. It asserted that “public matters are public, and private feelings are private,” stressing the need to distinguish between national foreign policy and personal emotions clearly. This suggests that U.S. policy toward North Korea is unlikely to change even if Trump wins the upcoming election in November.
The article commented that dialogue is unnecessary and perpetuates confrontation with insincere intentions. It added that, through decades of relations with the U.S., it has painfully and fully realized the outcomes and costs associated with such dialogue.
It cited the collapse of the U.S.-North Korea Basic Agreement during the Bush administration, criticizing the U.S. as a “politically backward country that readily overturns treaties or agreements between nations” and as a “country without faith that does not fulfill its promises.”
The article raised doubts about the reliability of discussions or negotiations with the U.S., citing its frequent displays of nuclear strategic assets, advancements in military equipment, and regular simulations of invasion warfare that include nuclear operational maneuvers. It suggested that meaningful dialogue could be possible if U.S. actions change.
It concluded by advising the U.S. to consider the benefits and drawbacks of its aggressive stance towards North Korea and make informed decisions on engaging with the country. It emphasized that the resolution of this confrontation depends entirely on U.S. actions.
Meanwhile, the newspaper’s commentary indicates North Korea closely monitors the U.S. presidential election. However, it reiterates that without a friendly attitude from the U.S., there is little willingness to improve relations, which can be interpreted as pressure on the U.S.
