Trump Skips Kim Jong-un Meeting During Asia Tour Despite Claims of Openness

By Staff, Agencies

US President Donald Trump will not be meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during his upcoming trip to Asia, a senior US official confirmed Friday, despite Trump’s stated willingness to reengage with Pyongyang in the future.

Speaking during an online press briefing, the official said Trump’s schedule does not include a meeting with Kim during his two-day state visit to South Korea, which coincides with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation [APEC] summit set to take place in the southeastern city of Gyeongju on October 31 and November 1.

“The president has expressed his willingness to meet with Kim Jong-un in the future, but it is not on the agenda for this trip,” the official clarified in response to questions about the possibility of Trump visiting the Demilitarized Zone between the two Koreas.

The remarks come amid continued speculation that Trump might attempt to revive his personal diplomacy with Kim during the APEC summit. The White House had previously stated that Trump remains open to dialogue with North Korea “without any preconditions.”

During his first term, Trump held three face-to-face meetings with Kim Jong-un: the first in Singapore in June 2018, the second in Hanoi in February 2019, and a third at the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom later that same year.