Washington DC, Aug 22 (EFE).- The president of the United States said on Tuesday that he believes North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is beginning to respect the US.
“Kim Jong-un. I respect the fact that – I believe – he is starting to respect us. I respect that fact very much,” Donald Trump told a rally in Phoenix, Arizona.
“And maybe, probably not, but maybe something positive can come about,” he added.
Trump’s remarks come after the US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson welcomed the “restraint” displayed by North Korea in recent days.
Tillerson said that with this change in attitude, “perhaps we are seeing our pathway to sometime in the near future having some dialogue.”
This month saw the most serious escalation in hostile rhetoric between the US and North Korea in recent years, which began when Pyongyang threatened to attack the US in response to sanctions imposed by the United Nations Security Council for its recent intercontinental ballistic missile launches.
Trump responded by promising “fire and fury” if Pyongyang did not stop threatening the US, prompting the North Korean regime to warn of a possible attack against the island of Guam in the western Pacific ocean.
While the tensions have eased slightly, there are fears that the annual US-South Korea joint military drills which began on Monday could lead to another hostile reaction from Pyongyang.