Washington [US], August 31: Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said on August 30 that 'getting along' with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is a 'good thing'.
During a campaign in Pennsylvania, a key battleground state, Mr Trump once again highlighted his personal relationship with Mr Kim, as he is in a tight race for the White House with his rival, US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
"I got along with Kim Jong-un of North Korea. Remember I walked through ... the first person to walk through this country," Trump said, apparently referring to his visit to Panmunjom in the inter-Korean demilitarized zone in June 2019, where he briefly crossed the Military Demarcation Line into North Korea, according to Yonhap News Agency.
"We also looked at his nuclear capabilities. It's very substantial... You know, getting along is a good thing, not a bad thing," Mr. Trump stressed.
In her acceptance speech in Chicago on August 22, Ms Harris took aim at Mr Trump, who has long touted his personal relationship with Mr Kim, declaring that she would not befriend someone like Mr Kim Jong-un .
The above statements by the two US presidential candidates show their different visions of diplomacy towards North Korea.
Mr Trump's emphasis on his relationship with Mr Kim has raised the possibility that if re-elected, he could revive his personal diplomacy towards Pyongyang to resolve North Korea's nuclear dilemma.
Meanwhile, Ms. Harris is said to support an approach focused on cooperation with allies and partners to address "evolving threats from North Korea," according to Yonhap.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
