Possibility of Kim-Trump meeting looms on sidelines of APEC summit

U.S. President Donald Trump, left, meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at the inter-Korean border area in Panmunjeom, June 30, 2019. AP-Yonhap

U.S. President Donald Trump is ramping up the possibility of a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during his visit to South Korea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) gathering later this week, employing rhetoric that may entice the reclusive leader for talks.

Although officials from all involved parties — the U.S., North Korea and South Korea — have remained cautious about reporting any progress, they are also not ruling out the chance for a meeting.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One before departing for his Asia tour, Trump said he would be “open to it” if the opportunity for a meeting arose, showing his willingness to revive the stalled face-to-face meetings.

"Well, I would if he would contact. The last time I met him, I put it out over the internet that I'm coming to South Korea and if he'd like to meet, I'm open to it," he said. "There's not a lot of ways other than the internet ... But he knows I'm coming."

Trump made history in 2019 as the first sitting U.S. president to step into North Korea. He met Kim at the border village of Panmunjeom, just over 30 hours after first suggesting the encounter on social media. Analysts say his latest remarks raise the possibility of a similarly improvised meeting, should Pyongyang respond favorably, even prompting speculation of behind-the-scenes contact between Washington and Pyongyang.

Adding to the intrigue, South Korean National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said Friday that there were signs North Korea had begun cleaning and maintenance work at Panmunjeom — an unusual move, he suggested, that could signal preparations for a surprise meeting.

Still, many experts warn that the logistical and political conditions necessary for such a high-stakes encounter have not yet materialized.

Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies, said the Panmunjeom activity alone is insufficient evidence.

“Cleanup alone is not enough to raise expectations,” Yang said. “If the leaders were to meet there, North Korean security and protocol teams would have already visited the site at least once or twice, but such indications are not visible.”

Yang also noted that the long, unpredictable history of U.S.-North Korea diplomacy warrants caution against ruling anything out entirely.

“There is always a 1 percent chance, as we saw when a brief social media message led to the impromptu 2019 summit,” he said. “Both leaders have highly unpredictable personalities. Still, the chances are not high. That is the rational interpretation.”

North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui is seen in this undated file photo. Yonhap

Trump’s latest remarks again touched on the North’s core demand: that Washington recognize it as a nuclear-armed state before full-fledged diplomacy can resume.

“They have a lot of nuclear weapons. I’ll say that,” Trump said, referring to North Korea as “sort of a nuclear power” — a phrasing that analysts say appears to acknowledge its de facto status while stopping short of formal recognition.

“Kim has nothing to lose by meeting Trump — it elevates his stature as a global leader and costs him nothing,” Yang said. “But North Korea now expects something greater. It wants concrete steps from the U.S., not just friendly messages.”

Cheong Seong-chang, director of the Center for Korean Peninsula Strategy at the Sejong Institute, said Kim is unlikely to accept a mere symbolic encounter at this stage.

According to Cheong, Pyongyang has repeatedly indicated two preconditions to restart talks: a halt to large-scale joint military exercises between Seoul and Washington, and an acknowledgment — at least implicitly — of the North as a nuclear state.

“North Korea wants the U.S. to show sincerity by abandoning its hostile policy,” Cheong said. “Trump’s flexible rhetoric is a start, but it is not enough. Without specific actions like reducing military pressure or easing sanctions tied to nuclear status, Pyongyang will see little value in another photo-op.”

The developments took on new weight Sunday when North Korea announced that Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui — a key figure in Pyongyang’s dealings with Washington — would visit Russia and Belarus at the invitation of their foreign ministries. The North's state-run Korean Central News Agency disclosed the trip without specifying dates or an agenda, suggesting that Pyongyang’s focus may lie elsewhere this week.

Cheong said that the absence of Choe — “the one who handles core U.S.-North Korea affairs” — makes a sudden summit even less likely. “A top-level meeting without her presence would be extremely unusual,” he said.

Trump arrived in Malaysia Saturday and then will travel to Japan on Monday. Afterward, he is expected to attend APEC events in South Korea from Wednesday to Thursday.