Trump hails Kim Jong Un letter while criticizing South Koreans

He downplays N. Korea’s missile tests

President Donald Trump said Friday that he received a “very beautiful” letter from Kim Jong Un, the North Korean leader who has repeatedly violated U. N. resolutions in recent weeks with a series of shortrange missile tests.

Speaking to reporters on the White House South Lawn, Mr. Trump described the three- page missive as “very positive,” and hinted at some of the contents.

Mr. Kim made clear he is not happy with U. S. “tests,” Mr. Trump said, later clarifying that by “tests,” he meant joint U. S.- South Korea military exercises.

“He’s not happy with the testing,” Mr. Trump said. “It’s a very small testing that we did, but he wasn’t happy with the testing. He put that in the letter.”

Mr. Trump went on to downplay Mr. Kim’s missile tests, which North Korea has said are meant to protest the joint military drills and do not pose a threat to U. S. allies in the region.

“I say it again,” Mr. Trump told reporters, “there have been no nuclear tests. The missile tests have all been short- ranged — no ballistic missile test. No long- range missiles.”

Mr. Trump’s comments came a day after he declared South Korea must pay the U. S. more for help in defending itself against Pyongyang’s potential aggression.

Mr. Trump has reacted to four North Korean missile tests in less than two weeks with little more than a shrug. Instead, he appears to be turning his frustrations about the peninsula on South Korea.

Mr. Trump chided Seoul on Twitter for paying “virtually nothing” for U. S. protection, while two administration officials said that behind closed doors, the president is fuming that South Korea is not doing more to contain Pyongyang’s increased aggression.

Mr. Trump told reporters the U. S. and South Korea “have made a deal” in which Seoul will “pay a lot more money” toward the costs of basing U. S. military personnel in the country — the second increase the Trump administration has pushed for and gotten this year.

“We’ve been helping them for about 82 years and we get nothing, we get virtually nothing,” Mr. Trump said.

Mr. Trump’s dismissal of Pyongyang’s missile tests, his push to ratchet up South Korea’s payments to stay under the U. S. security umbrella and his criticism of Seoul raise concerns that North Korea is successfully driving a wedge between Washington and Seoul, analysts said.