Donald Trump has said he would like to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during his upcoming trip to Asia. 'I would. If you want to put out the word, I'm open to it,' the US president told reporters onboard Air Force One as he departed for the region, adding that he 'had a great relationship' with Kim.
Trump made history during his first term, becoming the first sitting US president to set foot into North Korea when they last shook hands in 2019. His trip to Malaysia and Japan will see him meet several world leaders, including China's Xi Jinping, amid trade negotiations sparked by Trump's imposition of sweeping tariffs earlier this year.
Trump has taken an atypical approach to North Korea, a secretive communist state that is largely isolated from the global stage, and its nuclear ambitions. The two leaders met face-to-face three times during Trump's presidency but failed to agree on a denuclearization program. North Korea has since conducted multiple tests of intercontinental missiles.
In response to a question about recognizing North Korea as a nuclear state, Trump acknowledged, 'I think they are sort of a nuclear power... They got a lot of nuclear weapons, I'll say that.'
Kim has indicated his willingness to meet Trump again, contingent on the US dropping its demands for the denuclearization of North Korea.
South Korea's Unification Minister Chung Dong-young stated that the likelihood of a meeting between the two leaders is 'considerable' during Trump's stay in South Korea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) forum.
Although a senior US official noted no meeting is currently scheduled, history shows Trump's willingness to make spontaneous arrangements, as demonstrated by their last encounter in the demilitarized zone.
Trump's first stop will be in Malaysia for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit before arriving in South Korea, where he plans to meet with South Korean leader Lee Jae Myung. Discussions surrounding peace on the Korean peninsula and the potential for a Trump-Kim encounter have been ongoing since Lee's visit to the White House in August.
Simultaneously, Trump's meeting with Xi is set against the backdrop of a brewing trade conflict between the US and China, with both countries currently attempting to avoid further tariffs while searching for a potential trade agreement.
Trump made history during his first term, becoming the first sitting US president to set foot into North Korea when they last shook hands in 2019. His trip to Malaysia and Japan will see him meet several world leaders, including China's Xi Jinping, amid trade negotiations sparked by Trump's imposition of sweeping tariffs earlier this year.
Trump has taken an atypical approach to North Korea, a secretive communist state that is largely isolated from the global stage, and its nuclear ambitions. The two leaders met face-to-face three times during Trump's presidency but failed to agree on a denuclearization program. North Korea has since conducted multiple tests of intercontinental missiles.
In response to a question about recognizing North Korea as a nuclear state, Trump acknowledged, 'I think they are sort of a nuclear power... They got a lot of nuclear weapons, I'll say that.'
Kim has indicated his willingness to meet Trump again, contingent on the US dropping its demands for the denuclearization of North Korea.
South Korea's Unification Minister Chung Dong-young stated that the likelihood of a meeting between the two leaders is 'considerable' during Trump's stay in South Korea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) forum.
Although a senior US official noted no meeting is currently scheduled, history shows Trump's willingness to make spontaneous arrangements, as demonstrated by their last encounter in the demilitarized zone.
Trump's first stop will be in Malaysia for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit before arriving in South Korea, where he plans to meet with South Korean leader Lee Jae Myung. Discussions surrounding peace on the Korean peninsula and the potential for a Trump-Kim encounter have been ongoing since Lee's visit to the White House in August.
Simultaneously, Trump's meeting with Xi is set against the backdrop of a brewing trade conflict between the US and China, with both countries currently attempting to avoid further tariffs while searching for a potential trade agreement.
