US President Donald Trump said he is “100% open” to meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during his five-day trip to Asia, emphasizing that he and Kim “get along very well.” Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump encouraged them to “put out the word” about his willingness to meet.
While the White House said no meeting is currently planned, Trump’s visit includes stops in Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea.
The two leaders last met in 2019, when Trump made history as the first sitting US president to cross into North Korea. Since then, Kim has strengthened ties with Russia and China while expanding his nuclear weapons program.
Kim recently said he holds “good personal memories” of Trump and might resume talks if the US ends its “delusional obsession” with North Korea’s denuclearization.
Experts are divided over whether a new summit will happen soon. Ban Kil Joo, a professor at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy in Seoul, said recent moves — including suspended tours at Panmunjom and Kim’s comments about diplomacy — suggest that the prospects for renewed talks have increased.
Kim is expected to decide whether to pursue diplomacy at a major ruling party conference early next year.
