President Donald Trump commented on foreign policy with North Korea, international trade agreements, and his assessment of the presidency during an interview with Reuters on April 26, 2017. The discussion took place in the Oval Office as his administration approached its 100-day milestone.
On the topic of North Korea, President Trump stated there is a chance of a “major, major conflict” but said he would prefer a diplomatic outcome. According to the report from Reuters, he expressed a belief that Chinese President Xi Jinping was “trying very hard” to exert pressure on North Korea.
“We’d love to solve things diplomatically but it’s very difficult,” Trump said during the interview.
He also commented on North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who assumed power in his late 20s. “He’s 27 years old. His father dies, took over a regime. So say what you want but that is not easy, especially at that age,” Trump stated. “I’m not giving him credit or not giving him credit, I’m just saying that’s a very hard thing to do.”
Regarding international trade, President Trump said he intended to either renegotiate or terminate the U.S.-South Korea Free Trade Agreement, which he termed “unacceptable.” The trade pact, known as KORUS, was enacted in 2012.
In the interview, Trump also addressed the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system being deployed in South Korea. He stated that he had informed Seoul that it would be “appropriate” for them to pay for the system, which he estimated to cost $1 billion. A South Korean Defense Ministry official later responded in a statement that there was no change to the existing agreement that the U.S. pays for the system’s deployment and operation while South Korea provides the land.
Reflecting on his first months in office, President Trump spoke about the transition from his previous life as a real estate developer and media personality to the presidency.
“I loved my previous life. I had so many things going,” he told Reuters. “This is more work than in my previous life. I thought it would be easier.”
The interview covered a range of subjects as the president marked his first 100 days in office, a traditional benchmark for new administrations.
