Kim Jong Un Signals Willingness to Talk If U.S. Drops Denuclearization Demand

News Summary

Kim Jong Un said he still has a “good memory” of U.S. President Donald Trump and indicated that Pyongyang would be willing to sit down with the United States if Washington abandons its demand for North Korea’s denuclearization.

In a speech to the Supreme People’s Assembly on September 21, he emphasized that the North will never give up its nuclear weapons but would consider talks based on “recognition of reality” and peaceful coexistence.

He framed the U.S. demand as a “hollow obsession” and argued that dropping it would remove any barrier to diplomatic engagement.

Commentary

It isn’t surprising that Kim shows such unwavering resolve not to relinquish his nuclear weapons.

For generations, the Kim family has wagered everything on nuclear arms to ensure the survival of their regime. Backed by Russia and China and bolstered by increasingly sophisticated nuclear technology, Kim now boldly demands that Trump recognize his regime as a nuclear power.

Trump, however, cannot accede to that demand, because doing so would shatter global non‑proliferation norms. Other anti‑American regimes—such as Iran—would then follow North Korea’s example, developing nuclear weapons and making the same demand.

Just as the United States cannot tolerate a nuclear‑armed Iran, which it labels the world’s leading sponsor of terror, it can no longer treat North Korea any differently.