Mr Trump still calls Mr. Kim ‘someone I know and love’

Former President Donald Trump has accused the South Korean president of rifting ties with the US, while emphasizing his friendship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
“North Korean President Kim Jong Un, whom I know (and love) in the most difficult circumstances, has never respected the current president of South Korea, Mr. Moon Jae In”, Channel NewsAsia quoted Mr. Trump on April 23.

The former US president has criticized the South Korean president as “weak” as a leader and negotiator. “We have been treated like idiots for decades. However, I have made them pay billions of dollars more for the cost of the defense the US provides,” he stressed. “The Biden administration has not asked for the additional billions of dollars that Korea has agreed to pay us,” Mr. Trump added, referring to incumbent President Joe Biden. During his presidency, former President Trump has identified himself as the leading negotiator in peace talks on the Korean peninsula. He first met Mr. Kim during the first summit between the two countries in June 2018 in Singapore. The two later expressed good sympathy for each other. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and former US President Donald Trump. Photo: AFP. The two leaders have met twice again during Trump’s time in office, and North Korea has suspended nuclear and missile tests. However, analysts say Pyongyang will continue to push ahead with its weapons programs. In March, South Korea agreed to pay an additional 13.9% for the cost of maintaining US forces stationed in the country. Thus, the six-year “special measures agreement” will replace the previous US-Korean agreement that expired at the end of 2019. Under the new agreement, Seoul will agree to pay 1,180 billion won ($ 1.03 billion) for 2021. This is lower than the $ 5 billion required by Trump, but this is the largest annual increase in the near future. 2 decades. The financial dispute has rippled the two countries’ security alliances since Trump has repeatedly accused South Korea of ​​being a “stalker”. Washington currently has about 28,500 troops in South Korea to protect the country from its nuclear-armed neighbor North Korea, while also protecting US interests in Northeast Asia.