North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un has opened a new chapter in his carefully calibrated messaging to Washington. For the first time since Donald Trump’s inauguration, he publicly referred to the former U.S. president by name, pairing warm personal recollections with a conditional offer of renewed U.S.–North Korea dialogue.

As G.Business reports, citing Reuters and state media from Pyongyang, Kim declared that his country would not reject negotiations with the United States if Washington drops its demand for unilateral denuclearisation of North Korea. He branded such demands an “absurd obsession,” stressing that the North Korean nuclear programme was essential for survival against threats from the U.S. and South Korea.

Despite his harsh words for U.S. policy, Kim struck a conciliatory tone toward Trump, saying he still has “warm memories” of the former president. The remark contrasted with his uncompromising stance on maintaining nuclear weapons as a cornerstone of North Korea’s security doctrine.

Kim insisted that Pyongyang would consider returning to nuclear talks only if Washington “accepts reality and seeks genuine peaceful coexistence.” He made clear that North Korea will not give up its nuclear arsenal in exchange for sanctions relief. Instead, he argued that years of international sanctions had been a “learning experience,” strengthening the regime’s resilience.

According to Rachel Minyoung Lee, a North Korea expert at the Stimson Center in Washington, this is the first time since January that Kim has publicly used Trump’s name. Analysts view the move as a strategic signal: a reminder that Pyongyang will not be pressured into disarmament, yet remains open to selective engagement with the U.S.

The statement highlights North Korea’s dual-track strategy: projecting strength through its nuclear deterrence while signalling a narrow, conditional openness to diplomatic negotiations with Washington.

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