When asked whether he expects to meet Kim, Trump told reporters at the White House, "Yeah, I will be." But he did not provide details about when or where the meeting could take place.
Trump also said North Korea has "57 very powerful nuclear weapons," while reiterating his "good" relationship with Kim.
Trump's remarks came a day after the Wall Street Journal reported that he was pushing for a meeting with Kim, possibly during his next trip to Asia for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen, China in November.
But Trump declined to comment on whether the denuclearization of North Korea remains among his goals in potential talks with Pyongyang, raising questions about whether his administration could instead focus on reducing tensions and managing the risks posed by the North's nuclear weapons.
"I don't want to talk about that, but I do have a good relationship with [Kim] as you know, you've seen," Trump said. "He didn't like [former U.S. President Joe] Biden. He didn't like [former U.S. President Barack] Obama. He didn't like anybody, but he likes me and I just got along with him very good."
Trump has frequently stressed his good personal relationship with Kim, whom he met three times during his first term in Singapore in June 2018, Hanoi in February 2019 and at Panmunjom on the inter-Korean border later that year, although all three meetings ended with little more than a photo op.
The development came just a few days after Trump ordered the annual joint military exercise with South Korea, dubbed Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS), which began earlier this week, to be scaled down, in what was seen as an overture to North Korea for talks with Kim.
The exercise, originally scheduled to run through Aug. 27, was nearly halved and will now end this week.
North Korea, however, played down the reduced exercise, saying it made little difference. Kim Yo-jong, the North Korean leader's sister, said later in the day that Pyongyang was more concerned that the exercise was still taking place.
"Reducing the scale or duration of the drills does not change the provocative and aggressive nature of the [UFS]," she said in a statement carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), criticizing the exercise as "an unmistakable expression of hostility toward North Korea."
She also said she was "unaware" of any recent communication between Trump and Kim. "Perhaps it is the only matter I do not know about in relation to our supreme leadership's foreign policy," she said.
Nevertheless, she said the North Korean leader "holds good memories and feelings toward Trump," leaving open the possibility of another meeting between them.
AJP Takeaways
• U.S. President Donald Trump said Aug. 20, 2026, that he expects to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un later this year, although he did not provide details on the timing or location.
• Trump said North Korea has 57 "very powerful" nuclear weapons while reiterating his good personal relationship with Kim.
• Trump declined to say whether North Korea's denuclearization remains a goal of potential talks, raising questions about whether his administration could instead prioritize reducing tensions and managing nuclear risks.
• The United States and South Korea have scaled back the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise, which was originally scheduled to run through Aug. 27, with the move seen as a possible step toward renewed dialogue with North Korea.
• North Korea criticized the continued U.S.-South Korea military exercise but said Kim Jong-un has "good memories and feelings" toward Trump, leaving open the possibility of another meeting between the two leaders.
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