President Donald Trump during his speech on the economy Friday also thanked North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for "fulfilling a promise" to return remains of missing U.S. soldiers from the Korean War.
Kim promised to return the remains at a summit with Trump in Singapore in June.
A U.S. military plane flew to Wonsan, North Korea, on Friday to pick up what are believed to be the remains of U.S. service members killed in the War.
The 55 cases of remains are to be honored at a ceremony next Wednesday at a base in South Korea.
The remains are expected to be transferred to a base in Hawaii for verification sometime after Wednesday's ceremony.
Trump said that he wanted to thank Kim in front of the news media for "keeping his word."