Korea – US President Donald Trump has hinted at the possibility of extending his week-long Asian tour to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, if the latter agrees to the meeting.
Trump told reporters accompanying him on his trip, according to the Washington Post, that his meeting with Kim “could be an important step toward achieving stability and peace on the Korean Peninsula.” He added, “If Kim wants to meet, I’m open to it. We always believe in diplomacy first.”
The US president indicated that he had received “indirect indications” that Pyongyang might be open to resuming dialogue. However, he stressed that any meeting “would not be just for a photo op.” Rather, it must be “based on genuine intentions to denuclearize and ensure security in the region.”
For their part, White House sources downplayed the possibility of a meeting during the current round, stressing that the visit’s schedule is busy and that communicating with the North Korean leadership requires prior diplomatic arrangements. These arrangements ensure the success of the talks.
These statements come amid escalating tensions between Washington and Pyongyang, following North Korea’s series of missile tests in recent weeks. The United States responded with joint military exercises with South Korea and Japan, a move that has angered the North Korean regime.
Trump had previously met with Kim Jong Un three times during his first term. The meetings were in Singapore in 2018, Hanoi in 2019, and then at the Demilitarized Zone on the border between the two Koreas. These meetings were described as historic, but they did not lead to a final agreement on denuclearization.
Analysts believe that Trump seeks, through this move, to revive the diplomatic process with Pyongyang and also to strengthen his position as a president capable of handling sensitive international issues with boldness and flexibility.
