Trump continues to flaunt bond with N. Korean leader on campaign trail

Former US President and 2024 presidential nominee Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Saturday. (AFP-Yonhap)

Former US President Donald Trump once again boasted of his friendship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during his campaign rally in Michigan on Saturday, just two days after delivering similar remarks at the Republican National Convention in Wisconsin.

"You know, a lot of times the press would say, 'He gets along with Kim Jong-un. North Korea has a lot of nuclear weapons.' I got along with them great. You were never in danger with me as your president. It’s a good thing to get along, not a bad thing," Trump said of his relationship with Kim during the Michigan rally.

Trump continued, "I used to tell him, ‘Why don’t you do something else?’ All he wants to do is buy nuclear weapons and make them."

In a show of his affinity with Kim, Trump mentioned that he had proposed watching a baseball game together, claiming he "got along" great with Kim during his time in office and explaining to Kim that he already has sufficient nuclear weapons.

"I said, 'Just relax, chill. You've got enough. You got, you got so much nuclear weapons, so much.' I said, 'Just relax ... let's go to a baseball game, I'll show you how to baseball. We'll go watch the Yankees,'" Trump claimed during the rally.

Regarding the alleged conversations Trump had with Kim, the former US president did not provide further specifics, including when the conversations happened.

Trump also maintained a similar rhetoric during his Republican National Convention speech to accept the right-wing party’s nomination as its presidential candidate on Thursday, saying that he “got along very well with” Kim.

“It’s nice to get along with somebody who has a lot of nuclear weapons,” Trump said, noting the press’ criticism of his ties with Kim. “He’d like to see me back too. I think he misses me.”

Trump’s recent remarks come after speculation was raised regarding whether he would resume direct diplomacy and denuclearization talks with Kim once reelected.

Trump held three in-person meetings with Kim while serving as US president, including their first summit in Singapore in 2018 and their second meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam in February 2019, where denuclearization talks between the two countries stalled.

In June 2019, the two leaders held another short meeting at the Demilitarized Zone, and Trump became the first sitting US president to set foot in North Korea.

Trump and Kim also exchanged 27 personal letters from 2018 to 2019, which were later fully released by the Korean-American Club in 2022.

In September 2019, Trump hinted at future visits to the press, expressing that he would go to Pyongyang “sometime in a later future” and was “sure” Kim would “love” to visit the US also.

Regarding Trump's recent boasts of his relationship with Kim, professor Ahn Byong-jin from Kyung Hee University's Global Academy for Future Civilizations stated that it is Trump's way of proving that "the world was peaceful under him."

"By mentioning his alleged friendliness with Kim, Trump is emphasizing that he is able to peacefully manage foreign affairs, which Trump alleges Biden was unsuccessful in," Ahn told The Korea Herald.

Professor Min Jeong-hun from the Korea National Diplomatic Academy explained that Trump's emphasis on his friendliness with Kim Jong-un, as well as the leaders of China and Russia, is intended to "show his supporters that he is a leader capable of managing international relations and handling diplomacy where Biden has failed."

"Under the Biden administration, with wars occurring in Ukraine, Israel and other regions, international relations have deteriorated. Trump wants to emphasize that he can maintain good international relations, even with leaders like Kim Jong-un," Min told The Korea Herald.

"Trump aims to highlight that maintaining positive relations with countries like North Korea, China and Russia allows for effective management, reducing the need for unnecessary wars and tensions," Min added.

By Lee Jung-joo(lee.jungjoo@heraldcorp.com)