Democratic Party Representative Kim Young-bae, secretary of the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, predicted that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump might meet at Panmunjom in early November.
On Tuesday, during an interview on MBC Radio’s Kim Jong-bae’s Focus, Kim replied affirmatively to a question about the possibility of a surprise North Korea-U.S. summit at Panmunjom. He stated that he believes a meeting between Kim Jong Un and Trump at Panmunjom is entirely feasible.
Kim explained that despite Kim Jong Un’s harsh rhetoric, North Korea’s decision to send a vice-ministerial representative to the UN General Assembly—which involves over 190 countries—for the first time in seven years indicates the possibility of ongoing dialogue or back-channel communications between the U.S. and North Korea. He expects this to lead to progress.
Kim also noted that the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit will be held in Gyeongju, South Korea, on October 31. At this event, a U.S.-China summit is anticipated for the first time in seven years, which he cited as another reason for his optimism.
Kim emphasized that North Korea will showcase its diplomatic presence as a normal state from the United Nations (UN) General Assembly to APEC. Further noting, this UN General Assembly will be a crucial opportunity. He highlighted the significant role that President Lee Jae Myung is expected to play as chair of the UN Security Council in this context.
He referenced a Wall Street Journal report suggesting that if Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a summit with the U.S. after seven years, Xi might position himself as a mediator for peace on the Korean Peninsula.
In conclusion, Kim stated that given these factors, the APEC summit on October 31, where both U.S. and Chinese leaders will be present, is expected to become a pivotal diplomatic stage involving Kim Jong Un, Lee, Trump, and Xi. He predicted that APEC could serve as a stepping stone for a potential North Korea-U.S. meeting.