Washington: US President Donald Trump has indicated the possibility of meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during his upcoming Asia trip in mid-November, describing the potential meeting as an “exciting” opportunity.
When asked by reporters on Monday (local time) whether he might meet Kim, Trump said, “I may…That’ll be exciting, won’t it? But I get along with him.”
Trump met Kim Jong Un three times during his first presidential term, marking a series of unprecedented engagements between a sitting US president and the North Korean leader.
The potential meeting comes as Trump prepares to visit China for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Meeting, scheduled to take place in Shenzhen on November 18-19.
Trump Previously Called for Reduction in US-South Korea Military Drills
Trump’s latest remarks come amid earlier efforts to reduce military tensions with North Korea. In August, he ordered a substantial reduction in the annual joint military exercises conducted by the United States and South Korea, citing their cost, his “very good relationship” with Kim and concerns that the drills sent an “inappropriate and hostile” signal to Pyongyang.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he was unhappy that the United States had previously agreed to participate in the joint exercises with South Korea.
“Based on my very good relationship with Kim Jong Un, of North Korea, I was not happy with the fact that the United States had, long ago, agreed to participate in Joint Military Exercises with South Korea,” Trump wrote.
He argued that the exercises were costly, with much of the expense borne by the United States, and said they conveyed a hostile message to North Korea.
“These exercises are not only costly, with much of these costs paid for by the United States of America (as usual!), but send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile to a Country that, as long as Donald J. Trump has been President, has been unthreatening and respectful,” he added.
Trump said it was too late to cancel the exercises altogether and that he had instructed US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to substantially reduce them.
US and South Korea Shorten Joint Military Exercise
Following Trump’s order, South Korea and the United States concluded their primary theatre-level combined military exercise on August 21, nearly a week ahead of schedule, according to Yonhap News Agency.
The annual Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise typically lasts 11 days and involves command-post simulations and live field manoeuvres designed to prepare for contingencies on the Korean Peninsula.
However, the exercise was shortened to five days.
The reduction has been widely viewed as a conciliatory gesture by Trump towards Kim Jong Un, reflecting his stated preference for maintaining dialogue with the North Korean leader.
Previous Trump-Kim Meetings Raise Possibility of Renewed Engagement
During his first term, Trump met Kim Jong Un three times as the two leaders pursued diplomatic engagement over North Korea’s nuclear programme and bilateral relations.
Their meetings included the Singapore summit in 2018, the Hanoi summit in 2019 and a meeting at the Korean Demilitarized Zone later that year.
Trump’s latest comments suggest that another meeting remains a possibility, although he has not confirmed that talks with Kim will take place during his upcoming Asia trip.
The potential encounter would come amid continued diplomatic and security tensions on the Korean Peninsula, with Washington’s approach to military exercises and engagement with Pyongyang remaining important issues in regional relations.