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Donald Trump declared his "love" for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, even as Pyongyang insisted on his hard line in the destruction of nuclear weapons.
The remarks of the US president, which took place on the same day that a senior North Korean official blamed the US policy of "coercion" stalemate in nuclear negotiations, may raise concerns that the repressive regime Mr. Trump.
"I was really tough – and he too. And we would go back and forth, "said the president at a rally on Saturday, referring to a time last year when he exchanged personal insults with Mr. Kim, such as" Little Rocket Man " And "mentally disturbed dotard".
"And then we fell in love, okay? No, really – he wrote me beautiful letters, and they are good letters, "continued Mr. Trump.
The comments underscore the extent to which relations between the two countries developed last year and the strengthening of the personal connection between Mr Trump and Mr Kim since the summit of the two leaders in Singapore in June.
Kim repeatedly praised Trump's style of diplomacy this year – as did South Korean President Moon Jae-in. But North Korea has made little or no progress towards denuclearization.
Robert Kelly, a North Korean expert from the National University of Pusan in South Korea, said Trump's remarks had raised concerns about the state of US diplomacy before the second summit between the president American and the North Korean dictator.
"It's easy to conquer it. The president is a bubbly high school student who talks about love letters, "said Professor Kelly. "American diplomacy now."
A few hours before Trump's comments, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho told the United Nations General Assembly that Pyongyang would not give up its nuclear arsenal unless it could "trust" in the USA.
"Without trust in the United States, we will not trust our national security and in these circumstances we will not be able to disarm unilaterally first," Ri said, denouncing "coercive measures -building".
The Foreign Minister also rejected "the perception that sanctions can put us on our knees", like an "ignorant" dream. North Korea has never clearly defined how the United States could earn its "trust" and the exact concessions that Washington would need to offer Pyongyang.
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In recent months, North Korea has asked the United States to make a declaration ending the officially unfinished Korean War. The regime is also known to want an official peace treaty with Washington, a move that could open the door for US troops leaving the Korean peninsula.
At a summit with Mr Moon in September, Kim said his regime would dismantle its sprawling Yongbyon nuclear complex if the United States took "corresponding measures." However, he did not specify what these measures were.
