FORMER U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday reiterated his confidence in resolving tensions with North Korea, telling reporters at the White House that he would “get the conflict solved.”
The statement came during a public event at the Oval Office, where Trump emphasized his administration’s efforts to address global conflicts.
When asked about reports of a letter he allegedly sent to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Trump sidestepped the question but affirmed his longstanding rapport with Kim.
“I’ve had a good relationship with Kim Jong Un — really great. So we’ll see what happens,” Trump said. “Somebody’s saying there’s a potential conflict. I think we’ll work it out. If there is, it wouldn’t involve us.”
The remark follows a report by Seoul-based monitoring site NK News, which claimed that North Korean officials at the United Nations had refused to accept a recent letter from Trump to Kim.
While the White House declined to confirm the existence of the letter, it stated on June 11 that Trump remained open to communication with the North Korean leader.
During his first term from 2017 to 2021, Trump held three historic summits with Kim and exchanged multiple personal letters, which he once described as “beautiful.”
However, the talks ultimately collapsed in 2019 over the U.S.’s insistence on North Korea’s denuclearization.
Despite acknowledging North Korea as a “nuclear power” during his current presidential campaign, Trump has continued to express willingness to reengage diplomatically.
North Korea, however, has not shown interest in returning to negotiations and has instead ramped up its nuclear weapons development and ballistic missile testing.
Pyongyang has also strengthened military ties with Russia, reportedly providing both troops and weapons to support Moscow’s ongoing war in Ukraine — a move that has further complicated diplomatic efforts in the region.