Trump Says He Will Meet Kim Jong Un This Year, Days After Ordering Joint Drills With South Korea Cut Back

Asked on Aug. 19 whether he expected to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un this year, President Trump answered, "Yeah, I will be." The Wall Street Journal first reported he was pushing for a meeting. Trump met Kim three times in 2018 and 2019; the United States has no formal diplomatic relations with North Korea. Asked whether the two were again exchanging letters, Trump said, "I can't tell you that," and added that getting along with Kim "is a good thing, not a bad thing. He has 57 very powerful nuclear weapons." NBC News noted it is unclear how he arrived at that figure.

The statement came days after Trump ordered the military to downsize joint exercises with South Korea, citing cost and his relationship with Kim, and suggesting Seoul's refusal to help in the Iran war also factored in.

No date, venue or agenda has been announced. North Korea's official news agency said Kim Yo Jong was not aware of any recent communication between her brother and Trump.