(José Niño, Headline USA) President Donald Trump said he may meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during a November trip to Asia, reviving the possibility of direct diplomacy after years without a summit between the two leaders. The Epoch Times reported that Trump offered no details about a potential date or venue.
“I may. That will be exciting, won’t it? But I get along with him,” Trump told reporters when asked if he expected to see Kim during the visit. The Epoch Times said Trump is scheduled to attend the ASEAN summit in the Philippines on November 16 before traveling to Shenzhen, China, for the APEC summit on November 18 and November 19.
Trump also floated a meeting with Kim in August. At that time, he said North Korea possessed “57 very powerful nuclear weapons” and argued that Pyongyang would not have developed that arsenal under his earlier leadership. Trump held three meetings with Kim in 2018 and 2019, but their diplomacy ended without an agreement because the governments differed over North Korean denuclearization and sanctions relief.
The prospect of renewed talks emerges as military tensions remain high. According to South Korean news agency Yonhap, North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles toward the East Sea on Oct. 12, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff. At least one missile traveled more than 900 kilometers, or about 559 miles, before falling into the sea.
Pyongyang’s launch followed South Korea’s Oct. 8 test of its first hypersonic glide vehicle. A South Korean military spokesperson said the North’s missile activity appeared to protest Seoul’s successful test and display Pyongyang’s continuing military development, per a report by Yonhap.
North Korea has also used a new defense museum to showcase its weapons program. State media images showed the Hwasong 20 intercontinental ballistic missile among displays at the facility, alongside other missile systems and drones. According to Korean JoongAng Daily, analysts said a map shown near the launcher appeared to depict strike ranges reaching beyond the United States mainland and into several other regions.
“The exhibition appears intended to highlight the achievements of Kim’s defence science development programme,” Shin Jong woo, secretary general of the Korea Defense and Security Forum, said. “It gave the impression of propaganda aimed at gaining a strategic advantage ahead of a potential North Korea US summit.”
Kim has said North Korea will not surrender its nuclear weapons, setting a formidable obstacle for any new round of negotiations. The Epoch Times reported that Kim has also made improved ties contingent on Washington ending what he calls a hostile policy toward Pyongyang.
José Niño is the deputy editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/JoseAlNino
