Overview
- Kim told North Korea’s parliament he retains “fond memories” of President Donald Trump and could meet the United States if Washington abandons its push for denuclearization.
- He reaffirmed there will be no surrender of nuclear weapons and declared talks with South Korea unnecessary, reiterating Pyongyang’s irreversible nuclear status.
- Seoul said it would support U.S.–North Korea dialogue while maintaining denuclearization as its goal, and President Lee Jae Myung signaled he could accept a production freeze as an interim step.
- Analysts and South Korean media say Kim’s remarks revive speculation of a brief Trump–Kim encounter around the Oct. 31–Nov. 1 APEC summit or at Panmunjom, though no meeting is confirmed.
- Reporting highlights North Korea’s strengthened ties with Russia and China, while separate Reuters interviews underscore Seoul’s concern that unresolved U.S. investment demands could strain its economy.