South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok said that his White House meeting with President Donald Trump left him with the impression that Trump still favors restarting talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, even as the two sides did not pin down a date for any next summit. The comments land as Trump has also floated the idea of a possible DMZ encounter during an Asia swing, telling reporters in remarks tied to meeting at DMZ, “I’d be open to it, 100%. I got along very well with him, Kim Jong Un,” and describing North Korea as “sort of a nuclear power.”
On Friday, the Yonhap News Agency reported that Kim described a roughly 20-minute Oval Office meeting in which Trump spoke positively about meeting Kim Jong-un again, while suggesting the timing was a secondary concern. Kim said Trump raised the possibility that the meeting could occur during a planned visit to China, or alternatively take place afterward.
Trump’s Diplomacy: A New Opening With Kim
According to the report, Kim said Trump used the conversation to probe whether Pyongyang’s leader is interested in engagement with Washington, and that North Korea took up a large share of their discussion.
Last year, Trump cited his personal rapport as a reason diplomacy could resume, saying to the Fox News, “I mean, I know how many weapons they have. I know everything about them, and I have a very good relationship with Kim Jong Un.” In the same exchange, he added, “I think they are sort of a nuclear power.”
Kim said he urged more contact with the North as a way to keep even small openings alive, while declining to share details of his specific proposals. He also said Trump instructed aides to look at steps involving ties with Pyongyang, but Kim did not elaborate, citing diplomatic protocol.
During their conversation, Kim conveyed to Trump that South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has positioned the American leader as uniquely suited, a singular figure, to tackle the complex challenges surrounding the Korean Peninsula’s future and political stability.
What Does Kim’s Visit Mean For Future Talks?
Kim’s Washington schedule extended beyond the White House, including meetings with Vice President JD Vance and Michael Kratsios, who leads the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Kim said he also used the trip to promote Seoul’s push to host a U.N. hub focused on artificial intelligence, reports Yonhap News Agency.
Kim met Vance on Thursday in a session that included U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, with discussion touching on Section 301 probes involving 16 economies, including South Korea. Kim said Seoul’s stance is that it should not end up worse off than peers in the investigation, while Greer told him South Korea could be better positioned than some countries in certain cases and urged close coordination.
Meanwhile, Trump’s travel calendar has kept the Kim Jong-un question in play, with the White House saying Trump remains open to dialogue even if no meeting is set. Trump’s week-long Asia itinerary includes Malaysia, Japan and South Korea, and also features a plan to see Chinese President Xi Jinping at the APEC Summit.
Kim said Trump’s China travel is expected from late March into early April, and that Trump discussed the possibility of a Kim Jong-un meeting in that broader window. Kim also noted that some observers doubt Trump will have bandwidth for another major summit while the U.S. is focused on a military operation against Iran.
Diplomatic Signals: North Korea’s Messaging Shift
As per the news agency, Kim said he pointed to what he viewed as a softer tone in North Korea’s public language, moving from a line that there was “no reason not to meet” to a statement that “there is no reason that the Washington-Pyongyang relationship should remain bad.” Kim said he read that shift as leaving space for contact and dialogue.
Kim also referenced remarks Kim Jong-un made at a ruling party gathering last month, including that Pyongyang has “no reason not to get along with the U.S.” if Washington drops what it calls a hostile policy, and that the outlook “entirely depend on the U.S. attitude.” Kim said the North has not shown interest in inter-Korean talks.
Escalating Tensions Amid Diplomatic Efforts
This discussion on diplomatic engagement occurs against a backdrop of increasing military tensions, as North Korea recently conducted a missile test that splashed into waters east of the Korean Peninsula, prompting a strong warning from U.S. officials. North Korean Defense Minister No Kwang Chol condemned the U.S. aircraft carrier USS George Washington’s port call in South Korea, labeling it a hostile act and asserting that Pyongyang would escalate its military posture in response.
This escalation follows the U.S. and South Korea’s annual Security Consultative Meeting, which focused on enhancing military cooperation, a context that underscores the challenges Trump faces in resuming meaningful dialogue with Kim Jong-un. Such developments highlight the delicate balance of diplomacy and military readiness as both nations navigate their complex relationship.
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