(LEAD) N. Korea says it does not care about Trump's boasting of friendship with Kim

All News 14:32 July 23, 2024

(ATTN: UPDATES with response from South Korea's unification ministry in last 2 paras)

SEOUL, July 23 (Yonhap) -- North Korea said Tuesday that it does not care about former President Donald Trump's remarks about getting along with the regime, marking its first response to the U.S. presidential candidate's frequent boasting of his friendship with leader Kim Jong-un.

Trump said during his recent acceptance speech as the Republican nominee for the presidential election that he "got along very well with him" as he signaled his apparent desire to reengage with Kim.

"It's nice to get along with somebody that has a lot of nuclear weapons or otherwise," Trump said. "When we get back, I get along with him. He'd like to see me back too. I think he misses me."

North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said that Trump's remarks buoyed "a lingering desire" for the prospects of North Korea-U.S. relations, but it called on the U.S. to make a proper choice in the matter of how to deal with North Korea, no matter who wins the White House.

"Even if any administration takes office in the U.S., the political climate, which is confused by the infighting of the two parties, does not change and, accordingly, we do not care about this," the KCNA said in a commentary.

It said the foreign policy of a state and personal feelings must be strictly distinguished, claiming the U.S. has pursued the most vicious and persistent hostile policy toward it.

The commentary pointed out that Trump did not bring about any substantial positive change, though he tried to reflect special personal relations with Kim in the bilateral relations when he was president.

Trump held three face-to-face meetings with Kim, but serious negotiations stalled following their no-deal summit in Hanoi in 2019. North Korea has since been focusing on advancing its nuclear and missile programs, including the launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles.

South Korea's unification ministry noted that the commentary, rather than a statement from a top North Korean official, shows Pyongyang's "cautious response."

"Considering the content, it acknowledges the friendship between Trump and Kim Jong-un, while suggesting that the future of U.S.-North Korea relations depends entirely on U.S. actions," a ministry official told reporters on condition of anonymity, adding the North appears to emphasize the need for a change in U.S. policy toward North Korea.