SEOUL, South Korea — United States President Donald Trump has said he remains “100 percent open” to meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during his Asia trip next week, though senior U.S. officials insist that no meeting is currently scheduled.
The announcement follows days of speculation that the two leaders could hold an impromptu fourth summit, their first face-to-face encounter since 2019, as Trump prepares to attend a series of high-profile regional meetings in Malaysia and South Korea.
White House: “No Meeting on the Schedule”
A senior U.S. administration official told reporters Friday that, while Trump is open to dialogue, a formal meeting between Trump and Kim “is not on the schedule for this trip.”
“The president has expressed his willingness to meet with Chairman Kim Jong Un in the future,” the official said. “But as of now, there are no plans for such a meeting during the Asia visit.”
Trump departs Washington this weekend for Malaysia, the first stop on a five-day tour that also includes the ASEAN summit and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum in Gyeongju, South Korea.
Trump: “I Get Along Very Well With Kim”
Before boarding Air Force One on Friday night, Trump told reporters he would be “open 100 percent” to meeting Kim during his trip.
“He knows I’m going there,” Trump said, referring to the North Korean leader. “I get along very well with Kim Jong Un.”
Trump’s comments come as tensions on the Korean Peninsula rise again following North Korea’s latest missile tests earlier this week — launches widely viewed as a signal ahead of the APEC summit.
South Korean Officials Hint at “Considerable” Possibility
South Korea’s Unification Minister Chung Dong-young suggested on Friday that there was a “considerable chance” of a Trump-Kim encounter in Gyeongju, despite Washington’s cautious tone.
“Various signs suggest a considerable possibility of a meeting,” Chung told reporters. “We should not let even a one percent opportunity slip away.”
The minister urged both leaders to “make a decision,” adding that a potential dialogue could help ease regional tensions and revive stalled nuclear talks.
A History of Unusual Diplomacy
Trump and Kim have a complicated but unprecedented diplomatic history. Between 2018 and 2019, the two leaders met three times, including a landmark meeting inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas.
Their relationship — marked by both personal camaraderie and political friction — once dominated global headlines as Trump sought to achieve the “complete denuclearization” of the Korean Peninsula.
While those talks eventually collapsed, both leaders have expressed interest in resuming contact.
Kim Jong Un: “I Still Have Fond Memories of Trump”
In a rare public statement last month, Kim said he was open to talks with Washington, provided the U.S. ends its “hostile stance” and nuclear disarmament preconditions.
“Personally, I still have fond memories of U.S. President Trump,” Kim reportedly told North Korean media.
Trump, for his part, has often spoken warmly of Kim, describing their exchanges as “unique” and “productive”, despite their nations’ deep political divide.
“Someday, I’ll see him,” Trump said in August during a joint appearance with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung. “He was very good with me. I probably know him better than anyone except maybe his sister.”
Regional Context: APEC Summit and Tensions Rising
Trump’s trip will also include meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The APEC summit comes amid renewed geopolitical volatility — including U.S.-China trade tensions, North Korean missile activity, and growing regional militarization.
South Korea, as host nation, hopes the gathering can serve as a platform for dialogue rather than confrontation.
“Any chance for diplomatic engagement between Washington and Pyongyang would be a welcome development,” said Dr. Hana Kim, a Seoul-based foreign policy analyst. “Even informal contact could help reduce tensions at a crucial time.”
North Korea’s Latest Missile Tests
Just days before the summit, Pyongyang test-fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan, drawing condemnation from both Seoul and Washington.
The move was widely interpreted as an effort to assert leverage ahead of the APEC meetings, though North Korea described it as a “routine military drill.”
Despite this, Trump’s public openness to talks suggests he may still see personal diplomacy with Kim as a viable path forward.
Looking Ahead: Will There Be a Surprise Meeting?
While the White House maintains that no meeting is currently planned, observers note that Trump has a history of last-minute diplomatic maneuvers. His 2019 DMZ meeting with Kim was arranged with less than 24 hours’ notice after a spontaneous tweet.
As Trump embarks on his Asia tour, the world will be watching to see if another surprise handshake might yet happen — one that could once again reshape the U.S.–North Korea relationship.
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