Attention rises over potential Trump-Kim meeting during APEC summit

U.S. President Donald Trump, left, talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at the truce village of Panmunjeom in the inter-Korean border region, June 30, 2019. Korea Times file

Diplomatic observers are cautiously revisiting the once-faded prospect for a meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting, as Kim has signaled his intention to hold talks with the American leader.

While Pyongyang demanded Washington drop the U.S.-South Korea alliance’s stated goal of denuclearization as a condition for talks, speculation is rising that Seoul may also take a flexible approach to induce dialogue, as President Lee Jae Myung suggested the North’s halt of nuclear weapons production as the first stage.

According to the North’s state-run media Monday, Kim said he sees no reason to avoid talks with Trump, invoking his personal history with the U.S. leader. “I still have good memories of President Trump,” he said at the Supreme People’s Assembly in Pyongyang on Sunday, according to the Korean Central News Agency.

“If the United States abandons its obsession with denuclearization and seeks peaceful coexistence based on reality, we have no reason not to face each other.”

At the same time, Kim dismissed the idea of giving up his arsenal. “Denuclearization is absolutely impossible,” he said, ruling out dialogue with Seoul and making it clear that negotiations would be held directly with Washington only.

President Lee Jae Myung shakes hands with U.S. President Donald Trump during a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., Aug. 25. AFP-Yonhap

During his August summit with Lee, Trump said he got along with Kim and expressed his willingness to meet the North Korean leader within the year.

The timing of Kim’s remarks is significant because Trump is due to attend the APEC meeting in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, at the end of October.

Although the chances of Kim’s attendance at the APEC event are slim, with National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac saying a week ago that a Trump-Kim summit at the event was unlikely, Kim’s most recent comments have revived the possibility of an encounter, likely at the border, if the two sides show their willingness.

Seoul and Washington are also likely to seek a step-by-step approach toward Pyongyang instead of demanding full denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Lee earlier initiated a three-stage approach toward the North’s nuclear and missile programs — first a freeze, then a reduction and finally dismantlement.

In an interview with the BBC on Monday, Lee described a freeze as a “practical and realistic option,” noting that North Korea is believed to be producing 15 to 20 warheads each year. “If Trump and Kim agree to a freeze instead of full dismantlement, South Korea can accept it,” he said. He stressed that, although the long-term goal of denuclearization remains, halting further production would still reduce risks.

Following Kim’s speech, the South Korean Ministry of Unification reaffirmed Seoul’s position that it respects the North’s system, is not pursuing unification by absorption and will continue to make efforts to reduce tensions and build trust. Officials declined to speculate on the likelihood of a meeting during the APEC gathering.

Experts say it remains unclear whether Kim’s remarks are a genuine opening or another tactical maneuver.

Cho Han-bum, a distinguished research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification, said that the comments should be taken as a signal. “Even a limited freeze deal could bring North Korea practical benefits, such as partial sanctions relief, so Pyongyang has little reason to reject it,” he said.

Cho also described Lee’s remarks as pragmatic. “Complete denuclearization would take decades. In order to prevent the situation from deteriorating further, the first step must be to freeze the situation,” he said. “That initial step is necessary to start rebuilding trust between the U.S., North Korea and South Korea.”

However, he added that Kim’s exclusion of Seoul was deliberate. “North Korea has long viewed the South as subordinate to the U.S. Any deal with Washington will eventually leave the South to shoulder costs,” he said. “With the APEC summit approaching, attention is now focused on whether Trump and Kim will seize the moment.”