President Lee Jae-myung proposed a meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump during the recent South Korea–U.S. summit. Trump expressed his desire to meet within this year, suggesting that a reunion between the North Korean and U.S. leaders could occur sooner than expected, according to reports on Tuesday. The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju this fall will be a key event to watch.
On Monday, during the summit held at the White House, President Lee invited Trump to the APEC meeting scheduled for late October and added that, if possible, to also push for a meeting with Kim, the General Secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea.
Trump appeared encouraged by this proposal. When reporters asked whether he would meet with Kim this year or next, he replied that he meet many people, so it’s hard to say, but he would like to meet him this year, indicating his willingness to revisit the North Korea–U.S. summit by the end of the year.
Realistically, it seems difficult to find another opportunity for such a meeting outside of APEC. However, the challenge lies in the low likelihood of a North Korea–U.S. meeting taking place at APEC as well.
North Korea has repeatedly rejected dialogue with both South Korea and the U.S., as evidenced by statements from Kim Yo-jong, insisting that they must first meet the high threshold set for any discussions. They demand that the U.S. recognize North Korea as a nuclear power and that South Korea acknowledge the Two Koreas policy.
While non-member countries can receive invitations to the summit through negotiations with the chair country and member states, North Korea’s chances of attending an international conference in South Korea remain slim—especially since it has not taken steps to restore basic inter-Korean communication channels. They likely feel a strong resistance to appearing as though they are being drawn into a dialogue platform orchestrated by the U.S. and South Korea.
A more realistic approach than North Korea’s participation in APEC might be to replicate the meeting style used on June 30, 2019, when the leaders of North Korea, South Korea, and the U.S. met at Panmunjom. At that time, Trump visited South Korea for a summit and sent a message via social media inviting Kim to meet, which led to an impromptu three-party meeting at Panmunjom.
This method, having precedent and taking place in a neutral setting, appears more likely to succeed than North Korea’s direct attendance at APEC.
On the same day, Unification Minister Chung Dong-young commented on the possibility of a North Korea–U.S. meeting at APEC, stating that North Korea’s direct attendance is unrealistic, but emphasized that it needs to take advantage of Trump’s visit to South Korea.
North Korea’s initial response to the South Korea–U.S. summit is expected to serve as a benchmark. If North Korea refrains from criticizing or mocking the summit’s outcomes and instead evaluates them in a measured tone, the chances of an early meeting between the North Korean and U.S. leaders could increase.
Conversely, if they harshly criticize the summit’s results—which failed to address their demands for recognition as a nuclear power and acknowledgment of the Two Koreas policy—or respond with unexpected military provocations, it will take longer to find common ground among the three parties.
The government appears poised to focus more on creating dialogue opportunities between the U.S. and North Korea, rather than on bilateral talks between North and South Korea, following this summit where Trump was labeled a peacemaker and Lee a pacemaker. They will likely continue their conciliatory approach toward North Korea while urging the U.S. to maintain a consistent message of dialogue directed at North Korea.
Yang Moo-jin, President of the University of North Korean Studies, noted that by praising Trump—who has experience with peace initiatives through the PyeongChang Winter Olympics—and effectively suggesting North–South and North–U.S. dialogue during APEC, we are reducing Trump’s time and burden. He added that if Trump expresses a stronger willingness to talk with General Secretary Kim this year, Kim will have to take it seriously.