Overview
- During his Asia tour and APEC stop in Gyeongju, President Trump said he was 100% open to meeting Kim Jong Un and referred to North Korea as “sort of a nuclear power.”
- Pyongyang offered no response, instead launching sea-to-surface cruise missiles the day before Trump’s arrival and dispatching Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui to Russia and Belarus.
- Experts quoted by AFP called Washington’s public push a miscalculation that granted Kim unearned credibility and noted he holds the upper hand with backing from Russia and growing trade with China.
- Trump hinted he might consider easing sanctions to draw Pyongyang into talks, while analysts said Kim may be waiting for specific offers such as recognition and relief without denuclearization.
- Policy analysts urged narrow, credible steps to convert any future encounter into real diplomacy, including elite education exchanges, sports and tourism initiatives at Wonsan-Kalma, and discreet security talks on North Korea’s reported troop support for Russia.