Trump Open to Meeting Kim Jong Un During Asia Tour
President Donald Trump expressed on Saturday his willingness to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) while visiting South Korea as part of his Asia tour.
Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump stated, “I’m 100% open to it. I got along very well with Kim Jong Un.” He also observed, somewhat humorously, that while North Korea possesses a significant number of nuclear weapons, their phone service leaves much to be desired.
As he embarks on his trip to Asia, Trump mentioned he could “put the word out” about his readiness to meet with Kim. He also addressed queries regarding the recognition of North Korea as a nuclear power.
South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young emphasized the need for a “bold decision” from both leaders, as reported by South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency.
White House officials noted that Trump and Kim previously met during his first term. An official remarked that Trump’s past three summits with Kim aimed to stabilize the Korean peninsula. However, they clarified that, for this trip, a meeting isn’t currently on the agenda.
Earlier this month, a White House spokesperson mentioned that Trump remains open to dialogue with Kim without prerequisites. This aligns with the U.S. policy toward North Korea, which remains unchanged.
The week-long trip includes stops in Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea, and Trump is also set to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit this Thursday.
In 2018, Trump and Kim met for the first-ever U.S.-North Korea summit in Singapore, where they discussed building a new relationship. However, a subsequent meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam, in February 2019, ended without an agreement.
In June 2019, Trump made history by becoming the first sitting U.S. president to step into North Korea during a DMZ meeting, where he and Kim agreed to rejuvenate discussions on North Korea’s nuclear program. Trump underscored that the focus was on getting it right rather than rushing to a conclusion.
