Donald Trump has teased a future meeting with North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un before he jetted off to Asia, where he will hold high-stakes trade talks with country leaders.
The U.S. president told reporters he was open to seeing the North Korean leader before he stepped on Air Force One for a trip to Malaysia, Japan and South Korea, although U.S. officials have played down speculation about such a meeting.
“I had a great relationship with him,” Trump said, although there is no confirmation that there would be a repeat of their last encounter at the Korean border village of Panmunjom in June 2019.
Newsweek has contacted the White House for comment.
Why It Matters
Trump visited South Korea in 2019 and made a surprise trip to the border with North Korea for an impromptu meeting with Kim to revive faltering nuclear talks.
Trump has said he wants to restore diplomacy with Kim whom he once called “a smart guy,” adding that a meeting could ease tensions over Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons program.
However, Washington and Pyongyang haven’t hinted at any meeting between the leaders ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea, as attention is focused on trade talks with China’s Xi Jinping over a growing trade spat.
What To Know
Trump left Washington on Friday night for a five-day trip to Malaysia, Japan and South Korea, which will be his first to the region since returning to the White House.
As he boarded Air Force One, he was asked about the prospect of meeting Kim during his visit, replying that he would and was “open to it,” adding that the pair had a good relationship.
Regarding North Korea’s demand to be recognized as a nuclear state before dialogue with the U.S., Trump replied that the country was “sort of a nuclear power” and had a lot of nuclear weapons.
During Trump’s first presidential term, the leaders met three times, and Kim has said he would also be open to a meeting if the U.S. dropped its demand that Pyongyang give up its nuclear arsenal.
Since then, ties with the U.S. slumped over sanctions on North Korea. Also, Kim has accelerated the development of nuclear-capable missiles designed to strike the U.S. and its allies, aligned with Russia over its war in Ukraine, and increased ties with China.
South Korea’s Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said this month that Trump and Kim could meet at Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone again when the U.S. president comes to South Korea, although the Associated Press reported that there were no logistical preparations for such a meeting.
Who Will Trump Meet?
Trump’s first stop will be Malaysia on Sunday, for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit where he is expected to sign a trade deal with Malaysia and oversee the signing of a peace accord between Thailand and Cambodia.
The U.S. president will then go to Tokyo, Japan, where he will meet Sanae Takaichi who was confirmed this week as the country’s first female prime minister.
The focus of Trump’s trip is expected to be in South Korea for the APEC summit, where he is expected to meet Chinese president Xi Jinping for the first time since his return to office.
What People Are Saying
Asked if he would meet Kim Jong Un, President Donald Trump said on Friday: “I would. If you want to put out the word, I’m open to it…I had a great relationship with him.”
Ban Kil Joo, assistant professor at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy in Seoul, per the Associated Press: “We should see prospects for their meeting have increased.”
Kim Tae-hyung, a professor at Seoul’s Soongsil University, per the AP: “Considering the current situation, it seems difficult to imagine Kim Jong Un coming over for talks.”
What Happens Next
Even if there is no meeting between Trump and Kim, global markets will be anticipating the trade ramifications of the U.S. leader’s other meetings with Asian leaders, especially Xi.
