Trump Plans Fresh Meeting With North Korean Leader

(North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump. Photo by Ahram Online)

US President Trump said Wednesday he plans to meet North Korea's leader later this year.

He told reporters at the White House it's important to "get along" with him and said North Korea now has 57 "very powerful" nuclear weapons.

Trump defended wanting to meet the North Korean leader even though he's currently at war with Iran, which he says is a threat because it might get nuclear weapons.

He said he knows the North Korean leader well and they get along.

The Wall Street Journal reported Trump is eyeing a meeting during a trip to China in November for an Asia-Pacific economic summit.

Trump and the North Korean leader met three times during Trump's first term from 2017 to 2021.

Trump once called him "rocket man" and threatened "fire and fury," but later said they "fell in love" after exchanging "beautiful letters."

However, those meetings didn't produce major progress on the nuclear issue.

In his second term, Trump suddenly announced Sunday that he'd ordered the US to cut back joint military drills with South Korea, citing his relationship with the North Korean leader.

He's been dropping hints about communicating with him, though he wouldn't confirm Wednesday whether they're exchanging letters.

South Korea announced its annual military exercises with the US will end a week earlier than planned at America's suggestion.

The drills prepare for a possible North Korean att@ck.

North Korea's leader's sister said Wednesday she's completely unaware of any reported communication between her brother and Trump.

But she said her brother has good memories of Trump and their relationship remains excellent.

The move has alarmed US allies in Asia, who worry Trump is weakening security commitments to the region.