Trump says he is open to meeting Kim Jong Un at DMZ during upcoming Asia trip

President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he was “open” to meeting with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un at the demilitarized zone (DMZ) while in South Korea on a trip to Asia.

“I would be 100 percent open to it. I got along very well with him, with Kim Jong Un,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.

“They don’t have a lot of phone service,” the president said. “They have a lot of nuclear weapons, but not a lot of phone service.”

Trump, who heads to Asia on Friday night, told reporters they could “spread the word” that he was willing to meet with the dictator. The president also answered a question about recognizing North Korea as a nuclear power.

SOUTH KOREAN OFFICIAL SAID TRUMP AND KIM JONG UN SHOULD MAKE A ‘BOLD DECISION’ TO MEET ON THE ASIAN TRIP

“I think they’re kind of a nuclear power,” Trump said. “So I know how many weapons they have. I know everything about them and I have a very good relationship with Kim Jung Un. When you say they should be recognized as a nuclear power, I mean they have a lot of nuclear weapons, I will say that.”

South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young called on Trump and Kim to “make a bold decision,” according to Reuters, which reported that he made the statement to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency.

Trump and the North Korean leader met during his first term in office, a White House official said Friday.

“President Trump held three historic summits with North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un during his first term, ensuring stability on the Korean Peninsula,” the official told Fox News Digital. he said. “US policy on North Korea has not changed. President Trump remains open to meeting with Kim Jong Un, but such a meeting is not currently on the schedule for this trip.”

President Donald Trump meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the demilitarized zone in Panmunjom, South Korea, on June 30, 2019. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

Earlier this month, a White House official told Fox News Digital: “President Trump remains open to meeting with Kim Jong Un without any preconditions.”

“In his first term, President Trump held three historic summits with North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un, ensuring stability on the Korean Peninsula. US policy towards North Korea has not changed,” the official added.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump shake hands during a meeting at the Panmunjom Joint Security Zone (JSA) in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), on the south side of the Military Demarcation Line separating North and South Korea on June 30, 2019. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)

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The week-long trip includes stops in Malaysia, Japan and South Korea. Additionally, the White House said Trump will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit on Thursday.

In 2018, during his first term, Trump and Kim met at the first US-North Korea summit in history. The meeting took place in Singapore. A joint statement at the time said the two leaders “had a comprehensive, in-depth and candid exchange of views on issues related to the establishment of new US-North Korea relations.”

A summit between Kim and Trump in Hanoi, Vietnam, in February 2019 ended before the two could reach an agreement.

President Donald Trump greets North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on June 30, 2019. (API/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

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A year later, in June 2019, Trump met with Kim again, this time at the DMZ, making him the first US leader to set foot in North Korea. He took 20 steps into North Korean territory during the visit, where he shook hands with Kim.

Speaking to reporters in 2019, Trump said he and Kim agreed to restart negotiations on North Korea’s nuclear program. He said he was not aiming for a quick deal but instead aimed to “get it right.”