WASHINGTON, September 30. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump has called North Korean leader Kim Jong Un his friend in response to a question why North Korea can have a nuclear weapon, while Iran cannot.

"He happens to be a friend of mine, Kim Jong Un. He's a friend of mine. He likes Trump," he told reporters, adding that he also likes the North Korean leader.

"As long as I'm around, he's going to be fine. Why? Because he respects me and he likes me."

Pyongyang has repeatedly said that North Korea’s nuclear status is irreversible. Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui commenting on a meeting of the heads of the foreign policy departments of the United States, Japan, and South Korea, said that North Korea does not intend to give up its nuclear weapons regardless of the position of the United States and its allies.