Seoul watches Trump-Kim summit push as Pyongyang gives guarded response

The South Korean government is closely watching signs of a possible summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, after Trump expressed plans to meet Kim later this year and Pyongyang responded with caution but not an outright rejection of the proposed dialogue.

Earlier this week, The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump was seeking to revive summit diplomacy with Kim, following their meetings during the U.S. leader's first term. Trump confirmed to reporters Wednesday (local time) that he expects to meet with Kim later this year.

Trump also offered an unusually specific assessment of North Korea’s nuclear capabilities, saying Pyongyang now possesses 57 "very powerful" nuclear weapons.

Kim Yo-jong, the North Korean leader’s powerful sister, responded Wednesday in a statement carried by Pyongyang’s Korean Central News Agency, saying she was unaware of any recent communication between Trump and Kim, but acknowledged that the two leaders had an “excellent” personal relationship.

Her remarks did not directly accept Trump’s overture, but South Korean officials said they appeared to leave some room for renewed dialogue while reiterating that Pyongyang’s conditions for talks have yet to be met.

The developments have drawn particular attention in Seoul after Trump ordered a reduction of the ongoing South Korea-U.S. joint military exercise, a move that appeared to create additional space for engagement with Pyongyang.

For President Lee Jae Myung, the downsized joint drills are in line with his vision for inter-Korean relations, including his proposal to formally end the Korean War, which he extended to North Korea during his Aug. 15 Liberation Day address.

“We share President Trump’s commitment and efforts, and have great respect for his decision, to create conditions for dialogue toward peace on the Korean Peninsula, even at the cost of scaling back South Korea-U.S. joint exercises and field training drills,” Lee wrote on X, formerly Twitter, Wednesday.

Lee expressed hope that Trump’s decision will help build trust between the U.S. and North Korea, lead to the resumption of dialogue and ultimately contribute to establishing a stable peace framework on the Korean Peninsula.

The president, meanwhile, was also believed to have discussed the prospects for a renewed Trump-Kim dialogue, following their previous summits in 2018 and 2019, during his meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the presidential office, Thursday.

Wang made a two-day visit to Seoul through Thursday, with China preparing to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in November, where Trump may seek a meeting with Kim.

The foreign and unification ministries offered cautious assessments, emphasizing that the latest developments do not yet amount to an agreement to resume talks or advance a peace framework on the peninsula.

“President Trump made the decision on his own to create conditions for dialogue, rather than at Seoul’s request,” a foreign ministry official said, adding that Kim Yo-jong’s remarks suggested that the possibility of renewed talks remained open, potentially creating “a virtuous cycle between inter-Korean and U.S.-North Korea dialogue.”

The official noted that a potential U.S.-North Korea engagement may lead to renewed inter-Korean talks and broader discussions among the parties concerned on establishing a peace framework.

Although Trump did not specifically mention North Korea’s denuclearization, the official sees it as among the issues that will be addressed in discussions on a peace framework, with specific approaches to be worked out through consultations among the involved parties.

Asked whether a Trump-Kim summit without denuclearization talks would fall short of Seoul’s expectations, the official said the issue concerns “not only South Korea but also the U.S. and the wider international community.”

“It therefore requires continued dialogue to build consensus on the scope and direction of future negotiations,” he added.

A unification ministry official, meanwhile, described Trump’s remarks for a summit and decision to scale back Seoul-Washington joint drills as sharing “the same underlying objective as Seoul’s efforts to transition from the armistice system to a peace framework.”

The official said Kim Yo-jong’s response to Trump’s remarks partly indicated that North Korea remained interested in dialogue with the U.S.

However, he added that her statement also appeared intended to reiterate that Pyongyang’s conditions for talks had not yet been met, warranting further observation.

In an official statement, the ministry expressed hope that North Korea “will seize the opportunity and join efforts so that President Trump’s bold decision can lead to a new chapter of peace, including the resumption of dialogue between the North Korean and U.S. leaders within this year.”