Trump Calls Resumption of Pyongyang-Seoul Talks 'Good Thing'

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — US President Donald Trump on Thursday praised his own role in the resumption of contacts between Pyongyang and Seoul and called the talks between the two states "a good thing."

"With all of the failed “experts” weighing in, does anybody really believe that talks and dialogue would be going on between North and South Korea right now if I wasn’t firm, strong and willing to commit our total “might” against the North. Fools, but talks are a good thing!" Trump wrote in a tweet.

With all of the failed “experts” weighing in, does anybody really believe that talks and dialogue would be going on between North and South Korea right now if I wasn’t firm, strong and willing to commit our total “might” against the North. Fools, but talks are a good thing!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 4 января 2018 г.

On Wednesday, a high-ranking North Korean official said that the country’s leader, Kim Jong-un, ordered to reopen the contact line between Pyongyang and Seoul to discuss issues related to the upcoming Olympic games in Pyeongchang. The same day, the representatives of the two countries held the first telephone call via the re-established contact line.

The tensions on the Korean peninsula have been high recently due to the repeated nuclear and weapons tests carried out by Pyongyang in violation of the UN Security Council resolutions. The dialogue between South Korea and the North has resumed this week on the issue of the North Korean athletes' participation in the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in South Korea.