Former US President Expresses Willingness to Meet North Korean Leader
Former US President Donald Trump has said he is open to meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during his upcoming visit to Asia, raising speculation about a possible revival of personal diplomacy between Washington and Pyongyang.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said, “I would. If you want to put out the word, I’m open to it,” adding that he still maintains a “great relationship” with Kim Jong Un.
Trump made history in 2019 by becoming the first sitting US president to enter North Korea, stepping across the demilitarized zone (DMZ) that separates the two Koreas. Their last meeting at that time was widely viewed as a symbolic breakthrough, even though negotiations over denuclearization later stalled.
Trump’s Asia Tour to Include Key Summits and World Leaders
Trump’s latest Asia trip will include visits to Malaysia and Japan, where he is scheduled to meet several world leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping. His meetings come amid ongoing trade tensions between Washington and Beijing after the US announced sweeping tariffs on Chinese goods earlier this year.
The trip will also feature Trump’s participation in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Malaysia, followed by the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Busan, South Korea.
Observers say a potential meeting with Kim Jong Un could take place while Trump is in South Korea, though no such encounter is officially scheduled.
Trump Reflects on His Relationship With Kim Jong Un
Trump’s relationship with Kim has been one of the most unconventional chapters in modern US diplomacy. The two leaders met three times between 2018 and 2019, following a series of fiery exchanges where Trump mockingly referred to Kim as “little rocket man.”
Despite the initial hostility, the pair developed a rapport that led to historic face-to-face meetings in Singapore, Hanoi, and the DMZ. However, those talks failed to produce a concrete denuclearization deal, and North Korea has since conducted multiple intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests, according to regional monitoring agencies.
When asked whether he recognized North Korea as a nuclear power, Trump remarked, “I think they are sort of a nuclear power… They have a lot of nuclear weapons, I’ll say that.”
Kim Jong Un Signals Openness but Sets Conditions
In a speech last month, Kim Jong Un indicated he remains open to meeting Trump again, provided the United States abandons what he called its “absurd” demand for North Korea to completely give up its nuclear arsenal.
“I still have a good memory of President Trump,” Kim said, according to North Korean state media.
Analysts believe Kim’s remarks suggest a willingness to restart dialogue, but only on terms that recognize North Korea’s nuclear status—a stance Washington has repeatedly rejected.
Regional Leaders See “Considerable Chance” of Meeting
South Korea’s Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said there was a “considerable chance” that Trump and Kim could meet during the upcoming APEC summit.
According to AFP, officials in Seoul are cautiously optimistic that renewed engagement could ease tensions on the Korean peninsula.
A senior US official, however, told reporters that no meeting with Kim appears on Trump’s official itinerary so far. The official added that Trump’s previous encounter at the DMZ in 2019 came about spontaneously following an invitation from Kim on social media.
Possible Talks on Denuclearization and Peace Initiatives
Trump is expected to hold discussions with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, who has publicly supported diplomatic efforts to freeze North Korea’s nuclear weapons production as an initial step toward long-term peace.
President Lee, who visited the White House in August, said he is “open to any agreement” that would promote stability on the Korean peninsula and pave the way for reunification talks between North and South Korea.
Trade Tensions Loom Over Trump’s Meeting With Xi Jinping
A potential Trump-Kim meeting would come against the backdrop of rising US-China trade frictions. Trump is scheduled to meet President Xi Jinping to discuss stalled negotiations and escalating tariff disputes.
Both sides had previously agreed to pause new trade measures, but Trump has since threatened to impose a 100% levy on Chinese goods in response to Beijing’s restrictions on rare earth exports—materials critical for electronics manufacturing.
China currently controls about 90% of global refined rare earth exports, giving it significant leverage in global supply chains.
A Region Watching Closely
Diplomatic experts say any renewed interaction between Trump and Kim could reshape security dynamics in East Asia. While both leaders have expressed personal respect for each other, the strategic mistrust between Washington and Pyongyang remains unresolved.
As Trump prepares to embark on his Asia tour, analysts and allies alike will be watching closely to see whether his outreach to Kim Jong Un signals a genuine attempt at diplomacy—or another moment of political theatre in a volatile region.
