By TV84.pk News Desk | September 23, 2025
PYONGYANG – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un expressed willingness to resume dialogue with the United States if Washington abandons its demand for denuclearization, but firmly vowed never to relinquish his country’s nuclear arsenal, state media reported on Monday. In a speech to the Supreme People’s Assembly on Sunday, Kim invoked fond memories of former U.S. President Donald Trump, hinting at a potential thaw in relations six years after peace talks collapsed.
Nostalgia for Trump, Overture for Direct Talks
“Personally, I still have fond memories of US President (Donald) Trump,” Kim said, referencing their three summits during Trump’s first term. This marks the first time Kim has named Trump since his January inauguration, according to Rachel Minyoung Lee, a North Korea expert at the U.S.-based Stimson Center. “This is an overture,” Lee told TV84.pk. “It is Kim’s invitation to Trump to rethink U.S. policy on denuclearisation, the implication being that if the US drops denuclearisation, he could sit face-to-face with Trump.”
Kim’s remarks come as South Korea’s new liberal government under President Lee Jae-myung urges Trump to lead renewed talks. “If the United States drops the absurd obsession with denuclearising us and accepts reality, and wants genuine peaceful coexistence, there is no reason for us not to sit down with the United States,” Kim stated.
Nuclear Weapons as ‘Survival’ Guarantee
In stark contrast to his warmth toward Trump, Kim branded South Korea a “main enemy” and rejected any dialogue with Seoul. He justified North Korea’s nuclear program as essential for survival against “grave threats” from U.S.-South Korean military drills, which he accused of simulating nuclear war. Dismissing phased disarmament plans, Kim labeled recent overtures from Washington and Seoul as “disingenuous,” aimed at weakening his regime.
“The world already knows full well what the United States does after it makes a country give up its nuclear weapons and disarms,” Kim asserted. “We will never give up our nuclear weapons.” He described UN sanctions—imposed since 2006—as a “learning experience” that has only strengthened Pyongyang’s resilience, despite hindering military funding.
South Korea’s Phased Approach and Frustrations
President Lee Jae-myung, in a Reuters interview, acknowledged North Korea’s production of 15-20 nuclear bombs annually and proposed a stepwise deal: freezing manufacturing as a first step, followed by reductions and eventual full denuclearization once trust is rebuilt. “Based on that, we can proceed to medium-term negotiations for nuclear weapons reductions, and in the long run… we can pursue denuclearisation,” Lee said.
However, Lee admitted sanctions and pressure have “worsened” the crisis. He urged Trump to meet Kim during an upcoming Asia-Pacific summit visit to South Korea next month but noted Pyongyang’s refusal to engage Seoul directly. Stimson Center’s Lee suggested Kim’s speech aims to sideline South Korea, positioning the U.S.-North Korea dynamic as bilateral. “Perhaps he wants to get ahead of the Lee government and dissuade the Trump administration from cooperating with South Korea,” she said.
Lee emphasized creating “conditions for dialogue,” believing a phased plan remains realistic despite no concrete U.S.-North Korea talks underway.
Broader Implications
Kim’s dual messaging—welcoming Trump while scorning Seoul—highlights Pyongyang’s strategic isolationism amid advancing missile and nuclear capabilities. With Trump eyeing a potential Kim summit, the overture could revive stalled diplomacy, but only if denuclearization is off the table—a non-starter for Washington.
As tensions simmer on the Korean Peninsula, global watchers await Trump’s response. Stay tuned to TV84.pk for developments in North Korea-U.S. relations.
