Overview

• A White House official said President Trump is willing to speak with Kim Jong-un without any preconditions, the administration’s first public statement framing talks that way.
• The comment follows recent signaling from Pyongyang, including Kim Jong-un’s suggestion he could reengage if Washington drops its denuclearization demand.
• Speculation has grown that any initial encounter could be arranged on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Gyeongju from Oct. 31 to Nov. 1, though no meeting has been announced.
• North Korea’s vice foreign minister told the UN General Assembly that the country will never give up its nuclear arsenal, which state law defines as a sacred and absolute asset.
• U.S. officials say overall policy remains unchanged in seeking complete denuclearization, even as the latest statement omitted explicit reference to that goal.