Trump wants to meet with North Korea's Kim, but the latter says that won't happen

Trump and Kim have exchange friendly letters, but Kim ignored President Joe Biden throughout his term in office and recently deployed some 11,000 troops to Russia to assist with that nation's war against Ukraine, it reported.

Some Trump advisers think the president-elect has a better change of holding meaningful discussions with Kim after taking office in January.

There is no timeline for potential talks between Trump and Kim, but Trump thinks the two very nearly closed a deal that could have ensured peace in the Korea during his first term in office, Randall Schriver, a former senior defense adviser to Trump, said Thursday during an event at the Hudson Institute.

Trump and Kim met in 2018 in Singapore in the first meeting between the leaders of the United States and North Korea and met again a year later in Hanoi, Vietnam, and along the Demilitarised Zone separating North and South Korea, but were unable to lay the foundation for an eventual peace accord.

North Korea continued developing long-range missile technology that might one day enable North Korea to target South Korea, Japan and the United States with nuclear warheads if it becomes a nuclear state.

Kim said he sees no reason to meet with Trump, adding the United States has an "unchanging aggressive and hostile policy" toward North Korea.

UPI reported Kim on Friday said he would continue to develop nuclear technology and missiles capable of delivering nuclear warheads against North Korea's enemies.

"The US, Japan and South Korea will never get away from the responsibility as the culprits of destroying the peace and stability of the Korean peninsula and the region," Kim told North Korean army leaders.

"The most important and critical task for our armed forces is preparations for war," he added.

North Korea launched 45 test missiles this year, including an intercontinental ballistic missile launched on Oct. 31 that traveled 620 miles.

-- BERNAMA