Donald Trump said Tuesday he would be willing to talk with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un should he win the White House this November. The rhetoric marks a stark move from the U.S.’s current policy toward the communist nation.
Speaking to Reuters, Trump told reporters he would attempt talking sense into the North Korean leader to halt the nation’s nuclear program.
"I would speak to him, I would have no problem speaking to him," he said.
The GOP’s presumptive presidential nominee said he would also pivot to China to motivate Pyongyang toward a resolution.
"I would put a lot of pressure on China because economically we have tremendous power over China," he said. "China can solve that problem with one meeting or one phone call."
China is North Korea’s strongest ally, serving as its largest trading partner and diplomatic benefactor.
Sen. Jeff Sessions (R, Ala.), chairman of Trump’s national security advisory committee, said that it was "unlikely" any good would come of a meeting between the GOP’s presumptive nominee and Kim.
"To attempt something like that may be worth the effort," Sessions told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. "You just have to be very careful about that."
On Wednesday, a senior South Korean Foreign Ministry official told CNN that the government would not comment on remarks from a presidential candidate, but said that North Korea needs to stop issuing threats and "show sincere willingness to denuclearize."
"Both the Republic of Korea and the United States are firm in their position that the issue of North Korean denuclearization should be the priority in any dialogue with North Korea," the spokesperson said.
Trump’s readiness to speak with Kim diverges from President Obama’s seven-year silence with the North Korean leader. Obama has instead relied on senior administration officials to negotiate with Pyongyang’s senior officials.