WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump today said that he would like to see North Korea get involved in the upcoming Winter Olympics in neighbouring South Korea.
A North Korean Olympic official has said that his country is "likely to participate" in next month's Winter Olympic Games in Seoul.
"I'd like to see them getting involved in the Olympics and maybe things go from there. So I'm behind that 100 per cent," Trump told reporters at a news conference in Camp David, the picturesque presidential resort in Maryland.
Trump was responding to a question on the move in this regard between the two Koreans, who are scheduled to hold their first talks on Tuesday.
The president said he had some role in it as he took a strong stand against the North Koreans.
"I spoke to the president, as you know, with President Moon of South Korea. He thanked me very much for my tough stance and, you know, for 25 years they haven't been using a tough stance," Trump said.
Trump hoped that the two Koreans moved their relationship beyond just Olympics participation.
"I hope they do. I would love to see them take it beyond the Olympics. We have a very good relationship with South Korea," he said.
"I would love to see it go far beyond the Olympics, absolutely. And at the appropriate time, we'll get involved. I like the idea of their dealing on the Olympics. That should be between those two countries," Trump said.
Trump has adopted a tough approach against North Korea and has very often slammed its leader Kim Jong-un over tweeter.
In a tweet this year, he told the North Korean leader that he has a bigger nuclear button than his works and that his nuclear button works.