Trump retains 'very strong interest' in Kim Jong-un: ex-White House official
SEOGWIPO, Jeju Island — Former White House national security official Alex Wong said Thursday that U.S. President Donald Trump continues to have a "very strong interest" in North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, suggesting the U.S. leader could create conditions for renewed engagement with Pyongyang next year. "President Trump is a world historical actor, the one who is active, who engages, who takes action on the world stage. He could change the conditions in the short term — in the next year — to make the conditions conducive for engagement," Wong said during an interview with local media on the sidelines of the Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity, when asked about the prospects for renewed U.S.-North Korea diplomacy. "When the conditions are right, I think all powers should be ready for engagement," he added. Wong, who currently serves as global chief strategy officer at Hanwha Group, was deeply involved in North Korea policy during Trump's first administration, leading working-level negotiations with Pyongyang. He later served as principal deputy national security adviser during Trum
