Trump's Korea visit sparks speculation on meeting with Kim

With U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to South Korea confirmed, attention is on a possible surprise meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Trump will visit from Oct. 29 for an overnight stay and meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on the morning of Oct. 30 before returning to Washington that night. Because Trump has repeatedly expressed willingness to meet Kim, officials say a North Korea–U.S. summit could be arranged on the afternoon of Oct. 30, when no events are currently scheduled.

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young told reporters at the Seoul Government Complex on Oct. 24 that the leaders should not miss the opportunity, noting that arranging another summit later would be far more difficult and require extensive preparation. He cited Trump’s 2019 surprise meeting with Kim at Panmunjom, arranged within 32 hours after a Twitter proposal.

Chung said a summit would enhance North Korea’s international standing and help ensure the peace and stability needed for economic development and better living standards. He urged Kim not to miss the opportunity.

Chung also cited signs that both sides might be preparing for a meeting, noting that North Korea recently conducted beautification work around Panmungak, a North Korean building at Panmunjom. He said this was the first such activity observed this year. Earlier, the United Nations Command had suspended special tours of the Joint Security Area during Trump’s visit.

National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac took a more cautious stance at a Yongsan presidential office briefing the same day, saying authorities were monitoring developments but had seen no new indications of a summit.

Some analysts say a meeting seems unlikely due to North Korea’s deepening ties with Russia. Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University’s Institute for Far Eastern Studies, noted it is difficult to imagine Kim meeting Trump while publicly expressing solidarity with Moscow amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.

North Korea’s state news agency reported on Oct. 24 that Kim, speaking at a groundbreaking ceremony for a memorial to Russian war dead, declared that Pyongyang would always stand with Moscow.


Oh-Hyuk Kwon hyuk@donga.com