VIDEO: Trump says he looks forward to seeing Kim Jong Un

US President Donald Trump hinted Monday that he may soon sit down once again with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, suggesting a potential meeting could happen before the end of the year. His comments came during a White House summit with South Korea’s recently elected president, Lee Jae Myung.

The meeting got off to a rocky start after Trump, only hours before Lee’s arrival, posted on social media that South Korea was undergoing a “Purge or Revolution,” a reference to raids linked to churches and political allies of Lee’s predecessor. Once face-to-face, however, Trump softened his stance, saying, “I’m sure it’s a misunderstanding” and brushing off his own earlier remarks as nothing more than “a rumor going around.”

Read more: Trump slams “purge” in South Korea ahead of visit by President Lee

Despite the awkward opening, Trump stressed that he and Lee share common ground when it comes to North Korea. The US leader praised his own personal diplomacy with Kim, reminding reporters that he had already met the North Korean ruler three times during his first term.

“Someday I’ll see him. I look forward to seeing him. He was very good with me,” Trump said, adding that he still considers Kim one of the world leaders he knows best. Trump also claimed that since his return to the White House in January, North Korea has scaled back its missile activity.

Trump has repeatedly touted what he calls his record of resolving global conflicts, insisting he has “solved seven wars in as many months.” While critics dispute the claim, his interactions with Kim remain one of the most unusual aspects of his foreign policy. Though their past talks reduced immediate tensions, they failed to yield a lasting agreement on nuclear disarmament.

For his part, President Lee flattered his American counterpart, calling the United States under Trump “not a keeper of peace, but a maker of peace.” In an almost tongue-in-cheek remark, he even suggested the prospect of a “Trump Tower in North Korea and playing golf” with Kim. Lee emphasized that North Korea itself has acknowledged better relations under Trump and said directly, “Kim will be waiting for you.”

Lee’s election in June followed the impeachment of conservative leader Yoon Suk Yeol, who briefly imposed martial law before leaving office. The raids that drew Trump’s ire are tied to ongoing investigations into Yoon’s political allies.

During the Oval Office discussions, Trump also raised thorny bilateral issues. He pressed Lee over the cost of stationing 28,500 US troops in South Korea, going so far as to suggest that Washington should claim ownership of the land hosting one of its largest military bases. “We spent a lot of money building a fort … I would like to see if we could get rid of the lease and get ownership,” Trump said, a proposal likely to anger many on South Korea’s political left.