Washington: US President Donald Trump has once again drawn attention to his unusual diplomatic relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, sharing an old summit photograph and insisting that the two leaders continue to have a good rapport.
Trump posted a picture of himself alongside Kim on his social media platform Truth Social, accompanied by a remark acknowledging the stern expressions in the image while portraying their relationship in a positive light.
“Despite the unfriendly look on this particular picture, there are many where we’re smiling,” Trump wrote, adding that he and Kim “get along GREAT.”
The photograph shows Trump and Kim walking together during their landmark meeting in Singapore in 2018. Trump had previously shared the same image on June 14, 2026, but without adding any commentary.
From threats to unprecedented diplomacy
Trump’s latest message comes years after his relationship with Kim shifted dramatically from public threats to high-profile diplomatic engagement.
The two leaders met three times during Trump’s first term as US president. Their Singapore summit in 2018 was historic, marking the first meeting between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader.
The encounter generated hopes that Washington and Pyongyang could make progress towards reducing tensions and addressing North Korea’s nuclear programme.
Those expectations, however, faded during their second summit in Hanoi in 2019. The talks ended without a deal after the two sides failed to reach an understanding over North Korea’s nuclear capabilities and the sanctions that Washington was willing to lift.
Trump remains open to another meeting
Despite the breakdown in negotiations, Trump has continued to speak favourably about his personal relationship with Kim.
In October 2025, Trump said he would “love” to meet the North Korean leader again. At that point, however, there were no confirmed plans for another summit and North Korea had not publicly indicated that it was preparing for renewed talks.
Trump’s latest social media post again puts the personal relationship between the two leaders in the spotlight, even as broader diplomatic differences remain unresolved.
Pyongyang holds firm on nuclear programme
North Korea has continued to reject demands that it give up its nuclear weapons programme.
In July, Pyongyang criticised the United States and its allies after the NATO summit, accusing them of escalating military tensions. North Korean authorities reiterated their determination to protect the country’s sovereignty and security through their own military capabilities.
Trump’s latest comments therefore come against a complicated backdrop: while the US president describes his relationship with Kim in unusually warm terms, the fundamental dispute over North Korea’s nuclear arsenal remains unresolved.
For now, the throwback photograph serves as a reminder of the unprecedented diplomacy between Trump and Kim, as well as the personal rapport Trump has repeatedly cited as a potential foundation for renewed engagement.
