Biden says will meet N.K. leader if he agrees to draw down nuclear capacity

WASHINGTON, Oct. 22 (Yonhap) -- U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden said Thursday he would meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un only on the condition that the latter agrees to reduce his country's nuclear capabilities.

The former vice president insisted President Donald Trump and his three meetings with Kim have only legitimatized the North Korean dictator.

"What has (Trump) done? He has legitimized North Korea. He has talked about his good buddy, who's a thug, a thug, and he talks about how we're better off," Biden said in the second and last presidential TV debate with his Republican rival before the Nov. 3 presidential election.

His remarks came shortly after Trump again claimed credit for preventing what he claims to have been an imminent nuclear war with North Korea.

"Guess what. It would be a nuclear war, and (Kim) does have plenty of nuclear capability. In the meantime, I have a very good relationship with him -- different kind of a guy, but he probably thinks the same thing about me. We have a different kind of relationship. We have a very good relationship, and there's no war," Trump said at the nationally televised debate.

Biden insisted Trump has done nothing but allow North Korea to build up its nuclear and long-range capabilities.

"He talks about how we're better off, and they have much more capable missiles, able to reach U.S. territory, much more easily than they ever did before," Biden said.

bdk@yna.co.kr
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