US President Donald Trump has expressed interest in meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during his upcoming trip to Asia. Speaking to reporters onboard Air Force One, Trump said, “I would. If you want to put out the word, I’m open to it,” adding that he “had a great relationship” with Kim.
Trump made history during his first term as the first sitting US president to enter North Korea, shaking hands with Kim in 2019. The pair met three times during Trump’s tenure, but their discussions on denuclearisation yielded no formal agreement. Since then, North Korea has conducted multiple tests of intercontinental missiles.
Trump’s Asia trip will take him to Malaysia and Japan, where he will meet several world leaders, including China’s Xi Jinping, amid ongoing trade negotiations linked to Trump’s recent tariffs.
When asked if he would recognise North Korea as a nuclear power, Trump said, “I think they are sort of a nuclear power, They got a lot of nuclear weapons, I’ll say that.”
North Korean leader Kim has also indicated openness to a renewed meeting, provided the US halts what he calls the “absurd” demand for denuclearisation. “I still have a good memory of President Trump,” Kim said in a recent state media speech.
South Korea’s Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said there is a “considerable” chance of a Trump-Kim meeting during the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) forum in South Korea, although a senior US official confirmed that such a meeting is not yet on Trump’s official schedule.
Trump will start his trip in Malaysia for the ASEAN summit, before travelling to Busan, South Korea, to attend the APEC forum. There, he is expected to meet South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, who has discussed potential peace talks on the Korean peninsula and the possibility of a Trump-Kim encounter.
Trump’s visit to Asia will also include a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, amid tensions over trade and rare earth minerals, essential for electronics manufacturing. While both nations have temporarily paused proposed tariffs, Trump recently threatened a 100% levy on Chinese goods over export restrictions, putting the truce at risk.
The president’s Asia trip underscores ongoing US engagement in regional security and trade matters, while leaving the door open for a potential, high-stakes meeting with Kim Jong Un.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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