Trump calls Kim Jong Un a ‘friend’ and plays down N Korea’s nuclear arsenal

What the report says

US President Donald Trump referred to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as a “friend” during remarks in Washington, DC, and downplayed concerns about North Korea’s nuclear arsenal. Al Jazeera reported that Trump made the comments after a reporter asked why North Korea is allowed to have nuclear weapons while Iran is not. He said Kim “likes Trump” and suggested North Korea would be “fine” while he remains in office, while also describing Pyongyang’s nuclear capability as “pretty large.”

The article said Trump’s comments come as he seeks to reopen direct engagement with Kim and possibly set up an in-person meeting before the end of the year, although North Korea has not committed to such talks. Trump met Kim at summits in 2018 and 2019, but those negotiations collapsed over US demands that North Korea give up its nuclear weapons. Since then, the report said, Kim has expanded his missile arsenal and deepened ties with Russia and China.

Al Jazeera also noted a recent estimate from South Korea’s defence minister that North Korea may possess between 80 and 120 nuclear warheads, higher than Trump’s own previous figure of 57. The broader context is the continuing dispute over nuclear policy toward Iran, which Trump has said should not obtain a bomb, while North Korea’s arsenal remains a central security concern in East Asia.