U.S. President Donald Trump said he wants to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un this year when he discussed trade and defence issues with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung during a White House visit on Monday.
"I'd like to meet him this year," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office as he welcomed South Korea's new president, Lee Jae Myung, to the White House for the first time.
"I look forward to meeting with Kim Jong Un in the appropriate future."
Lee highlighted North Korea’s growing nuclear capabilities. "Despite the massive sanctions imposed to deter North Korea, the result has been the continuous development of nuclear weapons and missiles."
He added that the country could now build 10–20 nuclear warheads per year, needing only to perfect a reentry vehicle for its largest missiles.
North Korea did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump's remarks. Its state media said later that U.S.-South Korea joint military drills proved Washington's intention to "occupy" the Korean peninsula and target countries in the region.
Trump and Lee discussed trade, including a non-binding agreement to set up and operate a $350 billion financial packaged pledged in their July trade deal, to support the strengthening of strategic industries including energy and critical minerals, batteries, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and quantum computing.
South Korean presidential policy adviser Kim Yong-beom said the Ministry of Finance would establish a working-level team to discuss detailed future implentation.
Trump said, "I think we have a deal done. They had some problems with it, but we stuck to our guns."
The two leaders also addressed defence spending and military arrangements. Trump suggested Seoul might give the U.S. more flexibility in using its forces, but said, "I don't want to say that now," when asked about troop reductions.
Before the meeting Lee had said that it would be difficult for South Korea to adopt such "flexibility," particularly regarding operations related to China, acknowledging the challenges in meeting U.S. demands.
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The Iran-U.S.-Israel conflict is intensifying, with fresh strikes near Tehran, European calls for restraint, and Iran threatening to target U.S. firms in the region, raising fears of a broader escalation across the Middle East.
Three Armenian citizens have been charged following an alleged attempt to attack Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at St Anna Cathedral in Yerevan on 29 March. Analysts say the incident reflects rising tensions between the government and the Church ahead of upcoming elections.
HHungary’s foreign minister has been drawn into controversy after an audio recording, released by an investigative outlet, appeared to show him discussing EU sanctions with his Russian counterpart days before an election that could shape Budapest’s relationship with Moscow, Reuters reports.
China and Kenya have agreed to revive a long-delayed railway project, signalling renewed momentum in infrastructure cooperation and a shift towards more sustainable financing models across Africa.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said that the U.S is in talks with the new Iranian regime. He said this in a post on his Truth Social account but warned that the U.S. will "Obliterate" Iran's electric and oil facilities if no deal is reached, especially regarding the Strait of Hormuz closure.
NASA is aiming to launch its Artemis 2 mission on Wednesday (1 April), sending astronauts on a 10-day journey around the Moon, officials confirmed. According to the Space Administration, the launch window is due to open at 23:24 GMT, with additional opportunities to 6 April if delays occur.
The Iran-U.S.-Israel conflict is intensifying, with fresh strikes near Tehran, European calls for restraint, and Iran threatening to target U.S. firms in the region, raising fears of a broader escalation across the Middle East.
The war in Iran has rapidly upended regional security, triggering spillover across the Middle East and raising fears of wider economic disruption that could threaten globalisation.
The Israeli military said on Monday that Iran launched multiple waves of missiles at Israel, and an attack had also been launched from Yemen for the second time since the U.S.-Israeli war began on Tehran. It said two drones from Yemen were intercepted early 30 March but gave no further details.
A Russia-flagged tanker carrying about 700,000 barrels of crude has arrived in Cuba’s Matanzas Bay, marking the first major oil delivery to the island since the Trump administration cut off its fuel supplies.
China and Kenya have agreed to revive a long-delayed railway project, signalling renewed momentum in infrastructure cooperation and a shift towards more sustainable financing models across Africa.
HHungary’s foreign minister has been drawn into controversy after an audio recording, released by an investigative outlet, appeared to show him discussing EU sanctions with his Russian counterpart days before an election that could shape Budapest’s relationship with Moscow, Reuters reports.
The European Union's top diplomat Kaja Kallas and several EU foreign ministers arrived in Kyiv on Tuesday to mark the fourth anniversary of the Bucha massacre and to voice their support for Ukraine, amid tensions within the bloc over blocked EU aid.
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