Donald Trump, the President of the U.S., once again expressed his willingness to meet with Kim Jong Un, the Supreme Leader of North Korea, on Monday.
While speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Japan from Malaysia, Trump responded to a question about potential North Korean communication following his mention of the country during his Asian tour. He stated that he haven’t made any contact, but he would like to meet Kim.
Trump added that he got along very well with Kim. And that he liked Kim, and he liked Trump. If Kim wants to meet, he’ll be in South Korea.
When asked if he would extend his schedule to meet Kim, he replied that he haven’t considered it, but he’d be quite willing. If Kim wants to meet nearby, he’ll be in South Korea, so he can go right away.
Regarding potential U.S. proposals for the meeting agenda, he emphasized that they have sanctions against North Korea, which is a significant issue and can be considered our strongest bargaining chip.
Trump further expressed that if Kim wants this and receives this message, he really want to meet. If Kim wants to meet, he’ll gladly do so.
The President had previously indicated his desire to meet with Kim during his Asian tour, which includes stops in Japan and South Korea.
On October 24, while en route to Malaysia, Trump stated in response to a question about the possibility of meeting Kim, and that Trump want to meet him. Kim knows they’re going there. Notably, Trump described North Korea as sort of a nuclear power, sending a somewhat conciliatory signal to Kim.
Trump, who visited Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on October 26-27 to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit, plans to visit Japan (Monday to Wednesday) and South Korea (Wednesday to Thursday).
On Wednesday, the first day of his South Korea visit, he will meet with President Lee Jae Myung, and on Thursday, he will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. There is speculation that Trump may meet with Supreme Leader Kim at Panmunjom during this time, suggesting he could extend his stay in South Korea if North Korea reaches out to arrange a meeting.
However, North Korea has not yet responded to the prospect of meeting with Trump, making it difficult to predict whether the two leaders will meet during this visit.
Notably, tourism in the Joint Security Area (JSA) has been suspended from late October to early November, and this year marks the first time that signs of maintenance near the North Korean side of the JSA have been observed.
During his presidency in June 2019, Trump had a surprise meeting with Supreme Leader Kim at Panmunjom, becoming the first sitting U.S. president to step onto North Korean soil. At that time, Trump proposed the meeting via Twitter, and Kim responded, leading to the successful arrangement.
Trump held three summits with Kim during his presidency, but negotiations broke down due to differences over the scope of North Korea’s denuclearization and corresponding U.S. actions. Since then, North Korea has intensified its nuclear weapons development, repeatedly declaring itself an irreversible nuclear power.
