PRESIDENT-elect Donald Trump is working to reignite his famed bromance with North Korean despot Kim Jon-un ahead of his impending White House term.
Trump’s team is looking at holding direct talks with Kim himself after he ignored outgoing President Joe Biden for four years.
Those pushing for their meeting are hoping it can lower the risk of armed conflict in the coming years, according to two sources who spoke to Reuters.
Several members of the Republican strongman’s team feel he will have a much better chance of breaking the ice with Kim.
During Trump’s first post in office from 2017 to 2021, the pair traded what Trump called “beautiful” letters.
It marked an unprecedented move from authoritarian dictator Kim – who, four years on, is enjoying an expanded nuclear arsenal and firmed-up relationship with fellow despot Vladimir Putin.
The pair met three times during Trump’s first term, in Singapore, Hanoi and at the Korean border – marking the first time a sitting American premier had set foot in the country.
Trump previously described their chats as “falling in love”.
And he kept tokens of Kim’s affection by way of “love letters” after leaving his post as president in 2021.
They were among the presidential records seized by officials from his home in Mar-a-Lago in February 2022.
In 2020, when Kim fell ill, Trump sent his well wishes.
The then-President said: “I’ve had a very good relationship with him.
“I can only say this, I wish him well, because if he is in the kind of condition that the reports say, that the news is saying, that’s a very serious condition, as you know.
“I’ve said it and I’ve said it many times. If somebody else were in this position, we would’ve been right now at war with North Korea.”
He added, “I just hope he’s doing fine. I’ve had a very good relationship with Kim Jong-un.
“I’d like to see him well. I don’t know if the reports are true.”
Sources told Reuters that the talks on reigniting the pair’s blossoming bromance are not set in stone – with no official decision to come from Trump yet.
Meanwhile, Kim said as recently as last week, at a gun-touting military parade: “We have already gone as far as we can on negotiating with the United States.”
Talks between the frenemies did little to further peace talks in previous years – with American requests for North Korea to abandon its nukes going unanswered.
And Kim demanded full relief from US sanctions – which again went unfulfilled.
Fresh attempts would first focus on reopening lines of communication between the pair – with no specific policy aims as of yet.
US Senator Bill Hagerty told Reuters previously: “My experience with President Trump is he’s much more likely to be open to direct engagement.
“I’m optimistic that we can see an improvement in the relationship and perhaps a different posture adopted by Kim Jong Un if that dialogue were reopened again.”
Talks about their potential reuniting come as tens of thousands of North Korean troops have been dispatched to Russia to assist Putin in his ruthless war.
