Trump Open to Meeting North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, South Korean PM Says

Donald Trump believes a meeting with Kim Jong Un would be positive, according to Kim Min-seok, who spoke about the possibility of renewed diplomacy during a visit to the United States.

Speaking to reporters after meeting Trump in Washington, Kim said the US president expressed interest in direct talks with the North Korean leader as efforts continue to restart dialogue over Pyongyang’s nuclear programme.

According to the South Korean prime minister, Trump said that meeting Kim Jong Un “would be good,” though he did not commit to a specific timeframe. Kim told journalists that Trump suggested a meeting might take place during his planned visit to China in April, although it could also happen later.

“He said meeting would be good. It’s really good to meet,” Kim said, recounting the conversation. “But it could happen when we go to China this time, or it might not, or it could even be later.”

The possibility of a summit comes as Washington attempts to revive high-level diplomatic contacts with Pyongyang after months of limited engagement. The United States has led international efforts for decades to curb North Korea’s nuclear programme through sanctions, negotiations and diplomatic pressure, though progress has been limited.

Kim Min-seok said he and Trump agreed that any direct contact between Washington and Pyongyang would be significant, even if a meeting does not take place immediately.

“If a meeting happens soon, or around the time of the China visit, that would in itself be meaningful,” Kim said. “But even if not, what matters is that dialogue or contact takes place, and the president appears firm on that point.”

Trump had previously said during an Asia trip in October that he was “100 percent” open to meeting Kim Jong Un again. The remark initially drew no response from North Korea, which has often reacted cautiously to US diplomatic overtures.

In recent weeks, Kim Jong Un has indicated that relations with the United States could improve under certain conditions. The North Korean leader suggested that the two countries could “get along” if Washington recognised Pyongyang’s status as a nuclear power.

Despite those remarks, tensions remain high on the Korean Peninsula. North Korea recently dismissed South Korea’s latest peace proposals, calling them a “clumsy, deceptive farce,” signalling continued friction between Seoul and Pyongyang.

The regional security environment has also been shaped by North Korea’s expanding international ties. Pyongyang has strengthened military cooperation with Russia and has criticised recent US and Israeli military actions in the Middle East.

North Korean officials described the attack on Iran as an “illegal act of aggression,” a statement that highlighted the country’s opposition to US foreign policy in the region.

Diplomats say it remains uncertain whether a new round of negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang will materialise in the coming months. However, the signals from both sides suggest that the possibility of renewed dialogue is still under consideration.