The White House announced on Tuesday that President Donald Trump remains open to dialogue with Kim Jong Un, the General Secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea, without any preconditions.
A White House official responded to a written inquiry from News1 and other media outlets, stating that President Trump is open to discussing matters with North Korea without specifically mentioning nuclear issues, as was recently suggested by Chairman Kim.
The official noted that during his first term, President Trump held three historic summits with Kim, which contributed to stability on the Korean Peninsula.
President Trump and General Secretary Kim first met in Singapore in June 2018, followed by meetings in Hanoi, Vietnam, and in Panmunjom in June 2019.
The White House official emphasized that U.S. policy toward North Korea remains unchanged.
This statement is seen as reaffirming the U.S. government’s unwavering stance on the complete denuclearization of North Korea.
However, the deliberate omission of the term North Korean denuclearization may indicate a careful choice of words aimed at fostering an environment conducive to the resumption of U.S.-North Korea dialogue.
On the previous day, North Korea’s Vice Foreign Minister Kim Son Gyong stressed in a speech at the 80th United Nations (UN) General Assembly in New York that it will never relinquish the nuclear weapons, and it will not retract this position under any circumstances.
He added that as in the past, it will cooperate with all countries and nations that oppose aggression, interference, domination, and subjugation, regardless of differences in ideology and systems. Further noting that it will develop multifaceted exchanges and cooperation with countries that respect and treat us amicably.
This statement suggests that North Korea is open to dialogue with countries of differing ideologies and systems, provided that they show respect and friendliness, indirectly hinting at the possibility of U.S.-North Korea talks.
Earlier, the Rodong Sinmun reported that during the 13th session of the 14th Supreme People’s Assembly held on September 20-21, General Secretary Kim stated that if the U.S. abandons its delusional obsession with denuclearization, acknowledges reality, and truly desires peaceful coexistence with us, they have no reason not to engage with the U.S.
Kim also remarked that personally, he still have good memories of the current U.S. President Trump. This marks the first time he has spoken positively about President Trump and hinted at the possibility of U.S.-North Korea dialogue since the beginning of Trump’s second term.
Consequently, there is speculation that the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju, South Korea, from Tuesday to Wednesday, which President Trump will attend, could potentially facilitate dialogue between the U.S. and North Korean leaders.
During last month’s U.S.-South Korea summit at the White House, President Trump expressed his desire to meet with General Secretary Kim before the end of the year.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyeon indicated in an MBC interview on Monday that they are preparing for various possibilities regarding U.S.-North Korea dialogue in connection with the APEC summit, suggesting ongoing communication between the U.S. and South Korea on this matter.