Former President Donald Trump has defended dictator Kim Jong Un amid escalating tensions between North and South Korea.
The U.S. held joint air exercises bilaterally with South Korea and Japan involving strategic bombers on Sunday, a day after North Korea fired a Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in a "sudden launching drill."
North Korea said the missile launch was a warning to South Korea and the U.S. over extensive military exercises planned over the next few weeks.
"Kim Jung Un of North Korea, who I got to know and got along with very well during my years as President, is not happy with the U.S. and South Korea doing big training and air exercises together," Trump posted Tuesday night on Truth Social. "He feels threatened.
"Even I would constantly complain that South Korea pays us very little to do these extremely expensive and provocative drills. It’s really ridiculous. We have 35,000 in jeopardy soldiers there, I had a deal for full payment to us, $Billions, and Biden gave it away. Such a shame!!!"
While in office, Trump often boasted of his close relationship with Kim, and of the "love letters" they'd exchanged, Business Insider reported.
Following Trump’s post, North Korea on Wednesday accused U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres of "an extremely unfair and imbalanced attitude," as it lambasted him for condemning its recent missile test but ignoring alleged U.S. hostility against the North.
After the North’s intercontinental ballistic missile test on Saturday, Guterres strongly condemned the launch and reiterated his call for the North to immediately desist from making any further provocations. In a statement, Guterres also urged North Korea to resume talks on denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
North Korea has continued its nuclear weapons program despite it being banned by the U.N.
North Korea claims its nuclear forces are capable of destroying its rivals. But many foreign experts call the North's claim propaganda and suggest that the country is not yet capable of hitting the U.S. or its allies with a nuclear weapon.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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