The National Intelligence Service (NIS) reported on Tuesday that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is willing to engage in dialogue with the United States and may initiate contact when conditions are favorable.
This information was shared with reporters by Park Sun Won of the Democratic Party and Lee Seong Kwon of the People Power Party, the bipartisan representatives on the National Assembly’s Intelligence Committee, following an audit of the NIS in Seoul on Tuesday.
Lee stated that while a North Korea-U.S. summit didn’t materialize during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting, they’ve confirmed through various channels that North Korea has been preparing for dialogue with the U.S. It has also identified signs that the U.S. administration is analyzing its North Korea team’s approach, and they’re detecting subtle shifts in North Korea’s nuclear rhetoric.
The NIS analysis suggests that Kim has been moderating his direct comments on nuclear armament since the Supreme People’s Assembly on September 21, where he hinted at the possibility of conditional dialogue with the U.S.
Lee added that they’ve observed last-minute deliberations regarding Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui’s visit to Russia, likely considering the potential for dialogue, especially given President Donald Trump’s expressed willingness to meet with Kim during his Asian tour.
He projected that North Korea is leveraging its close ties with Russia and improving relations with China to advance its position with the U.S. It anticipates they might hold a military parade after the U.S.-South Korea joint exercises in March while simultaneously pushing for a North Korea-U.S. summit.
However, Lee noted that regarding South Korea, North Korea maintains a two-state stance, consistently blocking potential improvements in relations. They’ve issued directives prohibiting contact with South Korean organizations at overseas missions, instructed differential responses to the U.S. and South Korea, and demanded strict adherence to their principled positions.