CaliToday (22/9/2025): In a major policy speech, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un invoked "fond memories" of President Donald Trump, extending a conditional diplomatic overture to Washington while demanding it abandon its call for denuclearization as a prerequisite for resuming talks.
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| This photo provided by the North Korean government, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks during a parliament session at the Supreme People’s Assembly, which was held on Sept. 20-21, 2025 in Pyongyang, North Korea. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP) | More |
However, speaking before Pyongyang's parliament on Sunday, Kim firmly shut the door on dialogue with South Korea, the key U.S. ally that helped broker his previous summits with Trump. The remarks, published by state media on Monday, underscore a strategy of sidelining Seoul to seek direct negotiations with Washington.
Relations on the Korean Peninsula have been frozen since Kim's second summit with Trump in Hanoi collapsed in 2019 over disagreements on sanctions relief. Tensions have since escalated dramatically as Kim has accelerated his weapons development and forged a closer alliance with Russia amid its war in Ukraine.
In his address to the Supreme People's Assembly, Kim reaffirmed that his nuclear weapons program is non-negotiable, a capability that experts believe he views as the ultimate guarantee for his regime's survival and his family's dynastic rule.
"The world has seen clearly what the United States does after forcing other countries to give up their nuclear weapons and disarm," Kim declared. "We will never give up our nuclear weapons… There will be no negotiations, now or ever, on exchanging anything with hostile countries in return for lifting sanctions."
Despite this unyielding stance, Kim offered a rare personal olive branch, stating he still holds "good personal memories" of Trump from their initial meetings. He suggested there would be "no reason not to" resume negotiations with the United States if Washington "abandons its delusional obsession with denuclearization."
Kim's comments come at a pivotal moment. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is preparing to travel to New York for the UN General Assembly, where the North's nuclear program is expected to be a key topic. Furthermore, Trump is scheduled to visit South Korea next month for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, fueling media speculation of a potential third encounter with Kim at the heavily fortified inter-Korean border, mirroring their impromptu 2019 meeting.
Analysts view Kim's strategy as a calculated effort to force international acceptance of North Korea as a nuclear power, thereby allowing him to negotiate economic and security concessions from a position of strength. This diplomatic gambit is bolstered by a deepening alignment with America's primary adversaries. Kim has actively supported President Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine, sending thousands of troops and significant military supplies to Russia. He also visited Beijing earlier this month, sharing the spotlight with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Putin at a major military parade.
This international posturing has fueled escalating anxieties in Seoul, where officials fear being rendered irrelevant in future nuclear diplomacy. These concerns intensified last year when Kim formally abandoned North Korea's long-standing goal of peaceful reunification and ordered the country's constitution rewritten to cement South Korea's status as a "permanent enemy."
