By Song Sang-ho
WASHINGTON, March 31 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday there is "communication" with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un while noting he will "do something" on the recalcitrant regime "at some point."
Trump made the remarks during a press availability amid speculation he might resume direct diplomacy with Kim, which resulted in three in-person meetings between the leaders from 2018-2019.
"We have a great relationship, and yeah, we have ... there is communication," he said without elaborating. "I think it's very important."
He was responding to a question of when he plans to reach out to Kim.
U.S. President Donald Trump meets reporters as he signs executive orders at the White House in Washington on March 31, 2025, in this photo released by Reuters. (Yonhap)
The president depicted North Korea as a "big nuclear nation" and its leader as a "smart guy."
He recalled June 2019, when he walked across the Military Demarcation Line into North Korea at Kim's invitation.
"(I) got to know him very well. I remember I put my foot across the line, and then I walked across the line," he said.
He added, "I will probably do something at some point."
Days after taking office in January, Trump said in an interview that he will reach out to Kim again.
Trump and Kim held three meetings -- the first in Singapore in June 2018, another in Hanoi in February 2019 and the last in the inter-Korean truce village of Panmunjom in June 2019.
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)