South Korea bristles at Trump calling North Korea ‘nuclear power’

South Korea rebuked President Trump’s remarks calling North Korea a “nuclear power,” raising concern about the relationship between the two countries.

“North Korea’s denuclearization remains a consistent principle upheld by the international community, including South Korea and the U.S.,” a spokesperson for the South Korean Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.

The country said North Korea can “never be recognized as a nuclear-armed state,” NBC News reported.

President Donald Trump, left, meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the North Korean side of the border at the village of Panmunjom in Demilitarized Zone, on June 30, 2019. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

While signing executive orders on Monday, Trump spoke about his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

“Now, he is a nuclear power,” he said. “I think he’ll be happy to see I’m coming back.”

U.S. officials refrain from describing North Korea as a nuclear power because it would signal recognition of its weapons.

South Korea’s defense ministry said the denuclearization of North Korea was essential for lasting peace for “not only the Korean Peninsula but also worldwide.”

With Trump retaking the White House, there’s concern internationally about his friendships with various leaders, including Kim, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

During his campaign, Trump touted his relationship with Kim, saying they get along very well. The two started off rocky with a “really nasty” relationship and threatening nuclear violence.

Trump said when he was entering office for the first time, former President Obama warned that the world’s biggest threat was North Korea. Trump argued there could have been a nuclear war but his relationship with Kim prevented it.

Despite Trump again highlighting their relationship on Monday, Kim vowed late last year to launch the “toughest” anti-U.S. strategy in the coming years.

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