Trump pushes for Kim Jong Un meeting this year: report
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US President Trump is pushing his aides for a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as early as this fall, according to a Wall Street Journal report citing US officials, in an effort to revive the high-stakes personal diplomacy of his first term aimed at curbing Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons program.
Trump has privately discussed arranging an in-person discussion with Kim during his next trip to Asia, which could coincide with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen, China, in November, the officials said.
No formal preparations for a summit have begun, the Journal reported.
The push comes amid renewed outreach from Trump.
On Monday, he told reporters in the Oval Office that Kim had responded to his overtures, describing the exchanges as “very positive.”
Asked why Kim had not replied, Trump said, “How do you know he hasn’t responded?” and then confirmed, “Yeah, he has.”
He added, “Kim Jong Un has always treated me with great respect… I understand him. He understands me.”
A day earlier, Trump ordered the Pentagon to substantially scale back joint US-South Korea military exercises, calling them “inappropriate and hostile” toward a country that has been “unthreatening and respectful” under his presidency and citing his “very good relationship” with Kim.
South Korea’s military later confirmed the Ulchi Freedom Shield drills would be shortened at Washington’s request.
Trump met Kim three times during his first term—in Singapore in 2018, Hanoi in 2019, and at the Demilitarized Zone later that year—but those talks collapsed without an agreement on denuclearization.
North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs have since advanced significantly, with analysts estimating a larger arsenal and expanded enrichment capacity.
Kim has indicated he seeks recognition of North Korea as a nuclear power before any new engagement.
Trump previously sought a meeting during an Asia trip last year, publicly urging reporters to “put out the word,” and US officials said Pyongyang signaled receptiveness, though logistics prevented it. South Korean officials have expressed hope that renewed Trump-Kim contacts could promote stability on the peninsula.
Whether a summit materializes remains uncertain, as fundamental differences over denuclearization persist and North Korea has strengthened ties with Russia.
