May 28, 2019

Visiting United States President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe yesterday talked up their alignment in policies on North Korea, but they were split on one issue: Whether Pyongyang's recent launch of short-range missiles was in breach of United Nations sanctions.

Mr Trump, who contradicted his own national security adviser John Bolton in a tweet on Sunday, said at a news conference with Mr Abe beside him: "My people think it could have been a violation. As you know, I view it differently. I view it as a man (North Korean leader Kim Jong Un) who perhaps wants to get attention. And perhaps not, who knows, it doesn't matter," he said, adding that he was "not bothered at all by the small missiles".

"All I know is that there have been no nuclear tests. There have been no ballistic missiles going out. There have been no long-range missiles going out," Mr Trump said.

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https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/trump-not-bothered-by-north-koreas-small-missiles