Trump, who sparked talk of a U.S.-North Korea summit, makes no mention of North Korea in UN speech

[Financial News] U.S. President Donald Trump, who suddenly raised the possibility of talks with North Korea last month after the Iran war reached a stalemate, did not mention North Korea in his UN General Assembly speech on the 22nd (local time).
Trump discussed the Iran war and other foreign-policy issues in a speech during the high-level segment of the UN General Assembly at United Nations Headquarters in New York. He did not mention North Korea even once during the 38-minute speech.
In September 2017, during his first term, Trump said at the UN General Assembly that North Korea could be completely destroyed and referred to its leader, Kim Jong Un, as "Rocket Man." In 2018, when the first-ever U.S.-North Korea summit took place, Trump adopted a much more conciliatory attitude toward Kim Jong Un. At the September 2018 UN General Assembly, he said North Korean missiles were no longer flying all over the place and stated, "I appreciate the steps Kim has taken and his courage."
The September 2019 UN General Assembly was held when efforts to resume working-level talks were gaining momentum after the second U.S.-North Korea summit collapsed. Trump urged North Korea to denuclearize while offering it "a brighter future."
However, dialogue between the United States and North Korea ended after working-level talks in Stockholm, Sweden, in October 2019. Trump did not mention North Korea at the UN General Assembly in September 2020, the final such event of his first term. He also did not mention the country at last year's UN General Assembly in September, during the first year of his second term.
As the Iran war dragged on and he faced diplomatic difficulties, Trump suddenly mentioned North Korea and Kim Jong Un last month, shifting the subject. On Truth Social on the 16th of last month, Trump described North Korea as "a country that does not threaten the United States and respects it." He said he was reducing joint U.S.-South Korea military exercises because he did not want to send North Korea the wrong signal. At the same time, he emphasized that he had a good relationship with Kim Jong Un. At a meeting with reporters on the 17th of last month, Trump also claimed that Kim Jong Un had "responded" to his offer of talks. In remarks on the 19th, Trump said he would meet Kim Jong Un within the year and stated that Kim Jong Un had "57 very powerful nuclear weapons." The Wall Street Journal reported last month that Trump was pursuing a summit with Kim Jong Un, with the APEC summit in China this November as a target.

Tommy Pigott, a spokesperson for the United States Department of State, said at a press briefing for foreign journalists on the 21st regarding the possibility of a Trump-Kim Jong Un summit this year, "Trump is a dealmaker" and "always makes decisions based on the national interests of the United States." He added that Trump "will meet with someone if he determines that doing so serves the national interests of the United States." When asked whether Trump planned to make contact with North Korea at the UN General Assembly, Pigott said, "There is nothing specific to announce."

Meanwhile, North Korea is scheduled to deliver its UN General Assembly speech on the 28th. Kim Son-gyong, vice foreign minister of North Korea, is believed to take the podium. North Korea is expected to repeat its claim that denuclearization is impossible and its criticism of the hostile policy toward North Korea.


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