U.S. President Donald Trump has indicated he is open to meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un again, signalling a potential thaw in dialogue.
Speaking at the White House during a meeting with South Korea’s newly elected president, Lee Jae-myung, Trump told reporters that he hopes to meet Kim “at the appropriate time” later this year.
Reflecting on past interactions, Trump described his previous encounters with Kim as friendly, adding that the two leaders developed a good rapport during his first term in office.
He expressed optimism about the possibility of contributing to improved relations between North and South Korea.
Trump and Kim met three times between 2018 and 2019, exchanging letters that the former president described as positive and constructive.
In a historic moment in June 2019, Trump briefly stepped into North Korean territory from the demilitarised zone, becoming the first sitting U.S. president to do so.
When asked whether he would return to the DMZ, Trump recalled the previous visit with fondness. He joked about the intense reaction from the Secret Service but noted that he felt secure due to the mutual understanding he had with Kim.
Despite these high-profile meetings, the talks did not yield significant results in limiting North Korea’s nuclear capabilities. Earlier this year, Trump acknowledged that Pyongyang remains a nuclear-armed state.
Since the conclusion of their previous engagements, North Korea has shown little interest in resuming negotiations with the United States.
Nevertheless, the White House confirmed in June that Trump is receptive to future communications with Kim.
The renewed discussions come in the wake of South Korea’s presidential election. President Lee has pledged to reopen dialogue with Pyongyang, marking a potential shift in regional diplomacy. As an early sign of engagement, Lee suspended loudspeaker broadcasts from South Korea into North Korea along the DMZ in June.
Experts caution that fostering meaningful dialogue with North Korea may prove more complex now than during Trump’s initial term. The North has continued to expand its nuclear arsenal and strengthen its ballistic missile capabilities.
Additionally, Pyongyang has deepened ties with Russia, offering military support and personnel to assist in Moscow’s ongoing conflict in Ukraine. In June, state media reported that Kim assured Russian President Vladimir Putin of North Korea’s continued backing.
These developments underscore the challenges facing U.S. and South Korean leaders in negotiating with North Korea, highlighting the intricacies of regional security and the delicate balance required for diplomacy on the Korean Peninsula.
