US President Donald Trump stated that he would reach out to the leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un again, describing the latter, with whom he had held three previous meetings, as a "smart guy".

During his presidency from 2017 to 2021, Trump established an unusual diplomatic rapport with Kim, not only meeting him but also famously stating that the two had "fallen in love."

However, his Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged during his confirmation hearing that these efforts failed to achieve a lasting agreement to dismantle the DPRK's nuclear program.

When asked during a Fox News interview aired Thursday if he would contact Kim again, Trump responded, "I will, yeah. He liked me."

The DPRK has consistently justified its pursuit of nuclear weapons as a deterrent against perceived threats from the United States and its allies, including South Korea, which it technically remains at war with, as the 1950-1953 conflict between the two Koreas concluded with an armistice rather than a peace treaty.

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Pyongyang has conducted multiple nuclear tests and frequently launches missiles from its ballistic arsenal, portraying its nuclear program as a symbol of national prestige. However, Washington and other nations view the program as destabilizing, and the United Nations has passed numerous resolutions banning the DPRK's actions.

During his Senate confirmation hearing earlier this month, Rubio referred to Kim as a "dictator" and stressed the need for a comprehensive review of the DPRK's policies. He also called for measures to prevent conflict involving South Korea and Japan and to deter other nations from pursuing their own nuclear weapons programs.

In the Fox interview, Trump reflected on his previous attempts to negotiate an arms control agreement with Russia and China at the end of his first term. The 2019 effort sought to impose new limits on Russia’s nuclear weapons and persuade China to join the agreement.

"I was very close to having a deal. I would have made a deal with (Russian leader Vladimir) Putin on that, denuclearization," Trump said. But we had a bad election that interrupted us," referring to his 2020 loss to Democrat Joe Biden.

Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, recently described the DPRK as a "nuclear power" in a statement to a Senate panel, according to reports. In response, South Korea's Defense Ministry stated that Pyongyang’s nuclear status "cannot be recognized" and reaffirmed its commitment to work with Washington toward denuclearization.

Shortly before Trump's inauguration on January 20, the DPRK launched several short-range ballistic missiles, leading analysts to speculate that Kim may have been sending a message to Trump.

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