Ahmed AlmallahiUS President Donald Trump has pushed aides for a meeting as soon as this autumn with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, seeking to revive a dramatic diplomatic initiative from his first term to persuade Pyongyang to dismantle its nuclear weapons programme, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing US officials.
Trump has privately discussed arranging an in-person dialogue with Kim during his next trip to Asia, according to officials.
The meeting could take place in November when world leaders convene for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen, China.
While formal planning is not yet under way, Trump's interest signals an effort to reopen direct diplomacy with Pyongyang more than six years after his last meeting with Kim.
Trump attempted to meet Kim during an Asia tour last year, though logistical constraints prevented the summit from materialising.
On Sunday, Trump posted on social media that he had ordered the Pentagon to scale back joint US-South Korea military exercises.
Trump also said Kim had responded to his overtures, though he provided no further details.
The South Korean embassy in Washington expressed hope that the relationship between Trump and Kim would foster meaningful dialogue and stability on the Korean Peninsula.
Concurrently, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung reiterated calls on Tuesday for greater military independence from Washington and accelerated development of nuclear-powered submarines.
Arsenal expansion
Diplomacy between the two leaders previously faltered after summits in Singapore in 2018 and Hanoi in 2019 failed to yield a verifiable denuclearisation agreement.
The leaders met for a third time later that year at the Demilitarised Zone separating North and South Korea, but the encounter failed to restart substantive negotiations.
Since then, North Korea has significantly upgraded and expanded its strategic capabilities under tight secrecy.
Independent arms control analysts assess that North Korea's nuclear arsenal has expanded considerably beyond earlier estimates of 60 warheads.
The US intelligence community's annual threat assessment warned that Pyongyang remains committed to expanding its strategic strike capability.
Washington does not formally recognise North Korea as a nuclear weapons state, while Pyongyang has sought US acceptance of its nuclear status — a divide that could complicate any renewed negotiations.
In congressional testimony, Assistant Secretary of Defence Robert Kadlec cautioned that North Korea's missile forces pose an active threat to the US mainland and regional allies.
Analysts warn that Kim would enter any new summit holding a significantly stronger diplomatic and military hand.
Beyond expanding its domestic arsenal, North Korea has deepened strategic and missile ties with Iran and strengthened security partnerships with Beijing and Moscow.
Kim met Chinese President Xi Jinping in June and is expected to hold further talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin later this year.
