Trump posts throwback photo with Kim Jong Un, jokes about their 'unfriendly look'

The message comes against the backdrop of a dramatic shift in regional security, with North Korea strengthening its military partnerships while Washington and Seoul seek new avenues for dialogue.

In Short

• Trump and Kim’s talks collapsed in 2019 over denuclearisation and sanctions relief.
• His latest post comes after previously expressing a desire to meet Kim again.
• Pyongyang continues to defend its nuclear programme and oppose US-led demands.

US President Donald Trump has sought to strike a conciliatory note about his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, saying the two “get along GREAT” despite their history of bitter exchanges and threats of nuclear confrontation.

“Despite the unfriendly look on this particular picture, there are many where we’re smiling, Kim Jong Un and I get along GREAT!” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

The post came after Trump shared a similar photograph of himself walking alongside Kim on June 14, 2026. The photograph, taken during their 2018 summit in Singapore, was posted without a caption or accompanying comment.

Trump and Kim held three meetings during Trump’s first presidency, including a historic 2018 summit in Singapore, the first meeting between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader. Their diplomacy later broke down at the 2019 Hanoi summit over disagreements on denuclearisation and sanctions relief, according to Reuters.

Trump has since signalled that he remains open to renewing direct engagement with Kim. In October 2025, he said he would “love” to meet the North Korean leader again, although there were no concrete preparations for a meeting at the time and Pyongyang had not responded publicly, Reuters reported.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said in June 2026 that Trump was open to considering a phased approach to North Korea’s nuclear programme. Lee proposed initially halting the production of additional nuclear material, preventing the transfer of nuclear weapons or materials overseas and stopping further development of intercontinental ballistic missile technology, while keeping complete denuclearisation as the long-term goal. Trump responded that the proposal “could be one way” and said he would consider it, Reuters reported.

North Korea, however, has continued to reject calls to abandon its nuclear arsenal. In July, Pyongyang condemned the United States and its allies following the NATO summit, accusing them of intensifying military confrontation and vowing to safeguard its sovereignty and security through its own military capabilities.

Trump’s latest message comes against a backdrop of renewed interest in direct diplomacy.

- Ends