Trump Pushes for a Summit
U.S. President Donald Trump has directed his aides to arrange a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un this autumn, as reported by The Wall Street Journal. According to the report, Trump has discussed the possibility of holding face-to-face talks during his next trip to Asia, likely for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen, China, in November. No official planning for such a meeting is currently underway, a White House source said the meeting would take place “in due time.”
Trump told reporters on Wednesday that he planned to meet Kim later this year, speaking during a tour of a new helipad under construction at the White House. He provided no details about where or when, but The Wall Street Journal has reported that a meeting could occur alongside the APEC summit. Any encounter would be the first between the two leaders since Trump returned to the White House.
Trump’s push for a summit follows his August 17 statement that Kim had responded to his initiative to hold talks. During his first term, Trump met Kim three times: in the summer of 2018, and in the winter and summer of 2019. The 2019 Hanoi summit collapsed without an agreement.
Seoul and Washington Reaffirm Coordination
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held phone talks on Monday, August 24, according to Seoul’s foreign ministry. The ministry said the two agreed to continue close communication and cooperation for peace on the Korean Peninsula and the resolution of North Korea’s nuclear issue while maintaining a solid combined defense posture.
In a separate two-sentence readout, State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said Rubio noted the need for the two countries to “remain in close coordination on matters that are integral to the alliance.” Neither the ministry’s press release nor Pigott’s readout mentioned whether the diplomats reaffirmed their commitment to North Korea’s denuclearization, a point noted by Yonhap and other outlets.
Cho said that Seoul would do its best to help ensure that Trump’s recent message for North Korea leads to the resumption of dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang and peace on the peninsula, according to the ministry. The minister was apparently referring to Trump’s remarks last week that he expects to meet Kim later this year.
The diplomats also reaffirmed their shared understanding that close communication between South Korea and the U.S. is “more important than ever,” and agreed to work together to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes on pending issues, including tariffs, an investment agreement, and security cooperation. They agreed to meet in the near future for in-depth discussions.
Concerns Over Denuclearization and Alliance Strains
Trump’s outreach to Kim has raised concerns among analysts, particularly after he declined to answer a question about whether his goal in reengaging with Kim is still denuclearization. Trump has also praised nuclear-armed North Korea and said that Seoul had not helped his efforts to denuclearize Iran. He has directed a scale-back of joint South Korea-U.S. military exercises, a move seen as conciliatory toward Pyongyang. Cho said last week that Trump’s order to curb drills appeared aimed in part at pressuring Seoul to support U.S. efforts in the war with Iran.
Potential friction points between the allies include South Korea’s pledge to invest US$350 billion in the United States under a trade deal signed in 2025, details of which Seoul has yet to announce. Cho said Washington had sent Seoul a proposal outlining projects that could be considered for the investment. During the call, Cho also underscored Seoul’s commitment to contributing to the restoration of free passage through the Strait of Hormuz, a matter on which Trump has expressed frustration with South Korea.
Perspectives on the Proposed Summit
An editorial in Yonhap News argued that denuclearization should remain the priority in any renewed diplomacy. It welcomed the potential reopening of a dormant channel but warned that recognizing North Korea’s nuclear reality should not mean accepting it as permanent. The editorial said that denuclearization should remain a long-term objective but should not become an unrealistic precondition that prevents meaningful negotiations over achievable measures. It cautioned that the collapse of the 2019 Hanoi summit demonstrated the danger of demanding too much too quickly, and that personal rapport alone cannot resolve entrenched security disputes.
Another Yonhap editorial stressed the need for close coordination with Seoul in any Trump-Kim summit. It noted that Trump’s approval rating has fallen to its lowest level of his term, and that a summit could be intended as a political turnaround ahead of the November midterm elections. The editorial warned that North Korea has significantly advanced its nuclear capabilities, enshrined its nuclear-armed status in its Constitution, and strengthened alignment with China and Russia, making negotiations begin on a playing field tilted toward Pyongyang. It also pointed to disagreements within the alliance over the joint trade and security fact sheet, the transfer of wartime operational control, and military support in the Strait of Hormuz, urging that Seoul’s voice be reflected in any summit planning.
The Wall Street Journal reported that experts and a number of U.S. officials do not expect significant progress from any talks between Trump and Kim, according to TASS. White House sources indicated that a meeting would take place in due time.