Seoul, Sep 22 (NationPress) North Korean leader Kim Jong-un expressed that he retains a positive recollection of US President Donald Trump and indicated that Pyongyang is receptive to discussions with the United States if the latter relinquishes its insistence on denuclearising the North.

These comments were made during his address at a significant parliamentary gathering, as reported by the North's Korean Central News Agency. This follows Trump’s indication of his desire to meet Kim this year during his summit with President Lee Jae Myung last month.

Kim asserted that North Korea will never surrender its nuclear arsenal but remains willing to engage in dialogue with the US if denuclearisation is not a prerequisite for such discussions.

"If the US discards its unfounded fixation on denuclearisation and seeks peaceful coexistence with North Korea, acknowledging the realities, we have no reason to avoid talks with them," Kim stated.

He added, "I still have a favorable memory of President Trump personally."

This was Kim's first direct remark regarding his relationship with Trump since the latter began his second term in January. In July, Kim's sister, Kim Yo-jong, mentioned that the personal rapport between Kim and Trump is "not bad."

Kim's comments arrive amid speculation that Trump might pursue a surprise meeting with him, possibly at the inter-Korean truce village of Panmunjom, during his upcoming visit to South Korea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.

Trump and Kim had three meetings during Trump's first term, culminating in two summits—in Singapore in June 2018 and in Hanoi in February 2019, along with a brief meeting at Panmunjom in June 2019.

After the Hanoi summit ended without a deal due to disagreements surrounding sanctions relief, discussions on North Korea's denuclearisation have stalled.

During his recent address at the Supreme People's Assembly, Kim reiterated that North Korea has no intention of relinquishing its nuclear weapons, emphasizing they will not be leveraged as a bargaining chip, as reported by Yonhap.

"I affirm that there will never, never be denuclearisation for us," Kim stated, asserting that North Korea's status as a nuclear power is now enshrined in their constitution.

"Negotiations with enemies cannot involve trading while fixated on sanctions relief," he remarked.

Both South Korea and the US have reaffirmed their objective of denuclearising the Korean Peninsula. However, experts suggest that Trump may pursue a "small deal" with North Korea—a freeze on its nuclear program or nuclear disarmament—to rekindle dialogue with Kim.

Regarding South Korea, Kim reiterated his antagonistic stance, declaring he will neither engage in talks nor pursue unification with it.

"We will never unify with a nation that relies on foreign powers for its politics and defense," Kim stated, deeming inter-Korean unification "unnecessary."

In December 2023, he characterized inter-Korean relationships as those between "two states that are hostile to each other" and pledged not to seek reconciliation or unification.

Kim also threatened a nuclear strike against South Korea if the North cannot utilize its nuclear arms as a deterrent.

"The military infrastructure and the Republic of Korea's allies will collapse in an instant, leading to annihilation," he warned, using South Korea's official designation.

Kim dismissed President Lee's three-phase denuclearisation proposal for North Korea, calling it a mere "repetition" of previous plans.

President Lee has previously announced a three-phase denuclearisation strategy for the North, commencing with freezing its nuclear and missile programs in the initial stage.

Since his inauguration in June, Lee has made overtures for peace with North Korea to repair their strained relations.

He has also publicly supported Trump's dialogue efforts with Kim, urging Trump to assume a "peacemaker role" to forge a "new path" for peace on the Korean Peninsula during their meeting in Washington in August.

In a recent interview with the BBC, Lee expressed that his government would accept a possible agreement between Trump and Kim to freeze North Korea's nuclear programs as a "temporary emergency measure" and a "feasible, realistic alternative."

Meanwhile, Kim highlighted significant advancements in North Korea's defense sector this year, including the development of new naval destroyers.

"We have acquired new secret weapons and achieved remarkable progress in defense science that will significantly enhance our military capability," he noted, though he did not specify what these secret weapons entail.