United States and South Korean officials believe there is a slim possibility of a meeting between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un occurring this year. Washington has received no response from North Korea regarding a proposal to hold a summit between the two leaders.
Pyongyang state media reported that the North Korean government would impose strict conditions on any bilateral summit, which could include a request for sanctions relief. In August, Trump stated he intended to meet with Kim later this year and claimed the North Korean leader had replied to his outreach.
South Korea's intelligence agency informed lawmakers late last month that a meeting between Trump and Kim at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen, China, on 18-19 November had a 50% chance of occurring. Ankit Panda stated there is less than a 10% chance of a meeting between Trump and Kim at the APEC summit.
Kang Kyung-wha, the South Korean ambassador to Washington, said no concrete progress had been made toward a Trump-Kim summit last week. A White House official on condition of anonymity said, "President Trump in his first term held three historic summits with North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un that stabilised the Korean Peninsula."
The same official stated, "US policy on North Korea has not changed. President Trump remains open to talking with Kim Jong Un, without any preconditions. No meetings to announce at this time. The leaders will meet at the appropriate time." Trump previously remarked, "I get along with him very well, and I'm not sure that anybody's asking for a meeting."
Michelle Steel, the US Ambassador to Korea, said, "I don't know when they're going to meet." Steel added, "If it happens, then it's going to happen the next day or within a couple of days' notice."
The United States maintains approximately 28,500 troops and military equipment in Korea. South Korean officials, referencing estimates from a private research group, have stated that North Korea possesses between 80 and 120 nuclear warheads.
