US President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with technology industry leaders in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on Wednesday. [AP]
US President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with technology industry leaders in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on Wednesday. [AP]

US President Donald Trump claimed Wednesday that North Korea possesses 57 nuclear weapons and said he expects to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un before the end of this year.

Asked by reporters at the White House whether he anticipated meeting Kim this year, Trump replied, "Yes. I will be." The Wall Street Journal had earlier reported that Trump directed his aides to arrange an in-person meeting with Kim as early as this fall, with his team exploring the possibility of holding a summit on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders' meeting in Shenzhen, China, scheduled for Nov. 18-19.

Trump's sudden order Sunday to sharply scale back the Ulchi Freedom Shield joint military exercises with South Korea is also being interpreted as groundwork for resuming North Korea-US dialogue. During his first term, Trump met Kim in Singapore and Hanoi, Vietnam, but failed to achieve any denuclearization breakthroughs, and the two sides had no contact after their encounter at Panmunjom in June 2019.

When asked whether he had exchanged letters with Kim, Trump said, "I can't say that," but added, "I get along with him very well. The fact that I get along with him is a good thing, not a bad thing." He then said Kim "has 57 very powerful nuclear weapons." It was the first time Trump had cited a specific number for North Korea's nuclear arsenal. Experts have estimated that North Korea holds more than 60 warheads.

The remark may signal that Trump effectively accepts North Korea's nuclear status as a fait accompli. Last October, while departing on an Asia trip, Trump referred to North Korea as "a nuclear power of some kind."

Trump went on to criticize the Joe Biden administration, saying, "It should never have been allowed to happen in the first place. If I were president, I would never have allowed it." He then added, "But since he already has those weapons, I get along with him very well."

Trump also said, "We can't let Iran have nuclear weapons," before adding: "I know Kim Jong-un very well, and he will be fine. As long as there's a smart president, he will be fine. If there's a stupid president, maybe he won't be so fine."

The assertion that Kim "will be fine" appears to be Trump's boast that, as a self-described smart president, he can manage the North Korean nuclear threat — even as Pyongyang retains its arsenal.

The '1 Day 1 Trump' series — published daily by The Herald Business international desk — covers the latest Trump developments in under a minute. Click 'Original Article' below the headline and byline at the top of this page to find more Trump coverage.


kate01@heraldcorp.com