Washington (CNN) With the proposed June 12 summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in the balance, the Pentagon has made public a damning assessment of Kim's regime that concludes its primary function is to ensure "perpetual Kim family rule" at the expense of the well-being of the North Korean people.

The report differs from Trump's public assessment of Kim. Last year the President dubbed him "Little Rocket Man" but in recent weaks he has been effusive in his praise for the North Korean leader, calling him "very open and I think very honorable." The report also makes clear the obstacles Trump faces in convincing Kim to give up his nuclear weapons program, which Kim sees as key to maintaining his grip on power.

The Pentagon study on military and security developments in North Korea is mandated by Congress, and the latest version was completed before Trump agreed to meet with Kim. Nonetheless it provides the latest detailed public assessment from the Trump administration of Kim's weapons program and his potential motivations for maintaining power in advance of a potential summit.

The assessment concludes that Kim's regime "seeks to maintain control over a populace that is decreasingly reliant on it. ... North Korea's primary strategic goal is a perpetual Kim family rule via the simultaneous development of its economy and nuclear weapons program."

The Pentagon says the Kim regime "no longer provides basic goods and services outside the capital and major cities," and relies on ideological intimidation to maintain order.

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