President Trump is pushing his national security team to arrange another in-person meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as soon as this fall, according to a Wall Street Journal report, though North Korea has given no indication it’s ready to agree to one.
The Reported Plan
Trump has privately discussed setting up a meeting with Kim during a planned trip to Asia, which could include the APEC summit in Shenzhen, China, in November. U.S. officials cited by the Journal said no formal preparations for a summit are yet underway.
A Goodwill Gesture That Got Rebuffed
On August 16, Trump ordered a reduction in joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises, citing his “very good relationship” with Kim. Kim Yo-jong, the North Korean leader’s sister and a senior official, responded by saying she knew “nothing” about any recent communication between the two leaders and dismissed the reduced exercises as not worth commenting on, adding that North Korea has “no interest” in the gesture.
Why Kim Holds More Leverage Than in 2019
North Korea’s negotiating position has hardened considerably since Trump and Kim last met in 2019. Pyongyang is widely understood to insist on being recognized as a nuclear power before agreeing to further talks, a red line the U.S. has not accepted, and analysts say Kim has little incentive to meet without concessions closer to that recognition.
The Backdrop
The push for renewed diplomacy with North Korea comes as Trump faces a difficult run-up to the midterms on multiple fronts, including the ongoing war with Iran and its effect on gas prices, giving a high-profile summit potential value as a news-cycle-shifting moment even if the underlying nuclear standoff remains unresolved.
