U.S. President Donald Trump is pushing aides to arrange a new meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as early as this autumn, as Washington seeks to revive direct diplomacy with Pyongyang, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Trump has privately discussed holding an in-person meeting with Kim during his next trip to Asia, which could come in November when he is expected to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Shenzhen, China, according to the report. U.S. officials cited by the Journal said no formal plans for the meeting have yet been finalised.
The potential meeting comes after Trump said on Monday that Kim had responded to his recent diplomatic overtures, although the U.S. president did not disclose the contents of the response. Trump has repeatedly expressed interest in renewing his relationship with the North Korean leader, with the two men having held three high-profile encounters during Trump’s first presidency.
Trump’s latest push has coincided with his decision to order a substantial reduction in U.S. participation in joint military exercises with South Korea. The annual Ulchi Freedom Shield drills began this week, but the U.S. and South Korean militaries have since agreed to shorten the exercise, which was originally scheduled to run through August 27.
Trump has defended the move, saying the exercises are costly and send an inappropriate signal to North Korea, which he described as having been “unthreatening and respectful” toward his administration.
North Korea, however, has not responded positively to the reduction. Pyongyang on Wednesday condemned the ongoing U.S.-South Korean drills, describing them as hostile and saying it would continue strengthening its defensive capabilities.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun also told parliament on Wednesday that Seoul and Washington had not been fully consulted before Trump’s order to reduce the drills, suggesting that the decision has created unease within the U.S.-South Korean alliance.
The possible Trump-Kim meeting would also take place against a substantially different security environment from Trump’s first-term diplomacy. North Korea has expanded its nuclear capabilities and strengthened military ties with Russia, while its relationship with China remains strategically important. Analysts cited by the Wall Street Journal have questioned whether Pyongyang would now accept the kind of denuclearisation discussions that Washington previously sought.
The November APEC summit could provide a convenient setting for renewed diplomacy. APEC has confirmed that Shenzhen will host its 2026 Economic Leaders’ Week, while China’s government has announced that the leaders’ meeting will take place on November 18 and 19.
However, neither Washington nor Pyongyang has officially confirmed a Trump-Kim summit. Any meeting therefore remains a possibility rather than a scheduled diplomatic engagement.
The latest developments point to a renewed Trump strategy of using direct engagement and military concessions to reopen dialogue with Kim, but North Korea’s continued criticism of U.S.-South Korean military cooperation indicates that significant obstacles remain before substantive negotiations can resume.
