Donald Trump calls Kim Jong-un 'man of his word' on denuclearization

Speaking at his holiday retreat in Florida, US President Donald Trump on December 31 told the media that he believed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will stick to his commitments on denuclearization. Trump said that the US signed a contract with North Korea and that the major clause in it was 'denuclearization'. He claimed that Kim is "a man of his word" and that Kim and he "liked" each other and have a very good relationship.

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Trump referred to a 2018 historic summit he held with Kim in Singapore when the two adopted a statement on "complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula" and agreed to "establish new US-DPRK relations". There were speculations of betterment when Trump met both Moon Jae-In and Kim Jong-Un at the demilitarized zone (DMZ), which divides North and South Korea, at the end of June 2019. Until now, Trump claimed that the suspension of nuclear tests was evidence that his approach had succeeded where others had failed and that Kim could be persuaded to give up his nuclear arsenal.

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The White House announced on Sunday that if North Korea went ahead with its threat of a 'Christmas gift' the United States would have to consider using tools other than personal diplomacy and such measures could reignite tensions over its nuclear program. 

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Kim announced end on nuclear moratorium

Kim Jong-un on January 1 announced that North Korea will abandon its moratorium on nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests. The North Korean leader also told that the country would unveil a new strategic weapon in the new future, while addressing a meeting with party officials. The announcement comes as the US has not met its deadline to reduce sanctions and go for unilateral denuclearization which was set on December 31.

Kim said that there is no ground for North Korea to get unilaterally bound to the commitment any longer. He also announced a new strategic weapon to be possessed by the DPRK, reported the North Korean news agency.

Kim told the media that the US is raising demands contrary to the fundamental interests of North Korea and is adopting a brigandish attitude, quoted North Korean news agency. Kim had warned that if the US persists in its hostile policy toward the DPRK, there will never be the denuclearisation on the Korean Peninsula and the DPRK will steadily develop necessary and prerequisite strategic weapons for the security of the state until the US rolls back its hostile policy.

Read: North Korea To End Moratorium On Nuclear, Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Tests