Trump wants to meet Kim Jong Un again - WSJ
US President Donald Trump wants to hold a new personal meeting with DPRK leader Kim Jong Un as early as this fall. The American president has been privately discussing with aides the possibility of talks during his next trip to Asia, The Wall Street Journal reports, citing American officials. Official preparations for a summit have not yet begun.
One possible venue could be China, where Trump is due to travel in November. A meeting of leaders of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation countries will take place in Shenzhen on November 18-19. The official website of the organization confirms that APEC Leaders' Week will be held there.
A White House official told WSJ that Trump and Kim will meet when the time is right. At the same time, Pyongyang has not publicly confirmed preparations for talks. According to the publication, Trump views personal contact as an opportunity to resume dialogue on the DPRK's nuclear program, which effectively stalled after his first presidential term.
The new report appeared a few days after Trump ordered scaled-down joint military exercises between the US and South Korea, Ulchi Freedom Shield. The president explained this, among other things, by his "very good relationship" with Kim Jong Un and unwillingness to send a hostile signal to Pyongyang. Current Ukraine previously wrote that Trump directed a substantial reduction in the scale of the maneuvers, which began on August 17.
During his first presidential term, Trump met Kim Jong Un in person three times. The first summit took place in Singapore in 2018, the second in Hanoi in 2019, and later the leaders met in the Demilitarized Zone on the Korean Peninsula. The talks did not lead to an agreement on the DPRK's denuclearization, and since then Pyongyang has continued to develop its nuclear and missile programs.
South Korea supports the resumption of dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang. In the country's embassy in the US, officials expressed hope that Trump's and Kim's personal relationship will help start meaningful negotiations and contribute to stability on the Korean Peninsula.
Based on materials from: The Wall Street Journal, APEC
