U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday he plans to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un later this year, potentially marking their first face-to-face encounter since Trump began his second term.
Trump confirmed the planned meeting while speaking to reporters during a tour of a new helipad under construction at the White House, but gave no details on when or where it would take place.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump is considering meeting Kim during a planned trip to China for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in November.
Trump also claimed that North Korea has 57 nuclear weapons, describing them as “very powerful” in an unusually specific assessment of the country's nuclear arsenal by a sitting U.S. president.
Trump defended his willingness to engage Kim while maintaining that Iran must not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons.
“He has 57 very powerful nuclear weapons. Should have never allowed it to happen,” Trump said, adding that he had a “good relationship” with Kim.
Trump's comments came two days after he ordered the United States to scale back what he described as “inappropriate and hostile” military drills with South Korea, citing his relationship with the North Korean leader.
Trump and Kim met three times during Trump's first term, including summits in Singapore and Hanoi, as well as a meeting at the Korean Demilitarized Zone.
The two leaders have not met since Trump returned to the White House for his second term.
Kim's sister, Kim Yo Jong, said Wednesday she was unaware of reported communications between her brother and Trump but described relations between the two leaders as “excellent.”
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