Trump Says He May Meet Kim Jong-un During November Asia Trip as the US president considers another encounter with North Korea's leader. His October 12 remarks came ahead of a China visit for the 2026 APEC summit. No meeting has been announced, leaving a possible diplomatic opening uncertain.
Trump Kim Jong-un meeting possibility
Asked at the White House on Monday, October 12, whether he intended to meet Kim Jong-un during his upcoming Asian trip, President Donald Trump replied, “I may.” He said an encounter would be exciting and again described his relationship with Kim in positive terms. The brief exchange revived interest in direct US-North Korea talks, but it was not a formal announcement. Neither government has released a date, location or agenda for another meeting.
2026 Shenzhen APEC summit
China will host the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Shenzhen on November 18 and 19, and Trump is expected to travel to Asia around the event. North Korea is not one of APEC's 21 member economies, so Kim's attendance cannot be assumed. A meeting would require separate arrangements, either in China or elsewhere during the trip. That distinction matters because the scheduled APEC gathering does not itself confirm a Trump-Kim summit.
Trump and Kim's previous summits
The leaders first met in Singapore in June 2018, where they issued a statement calling for improved relations and progress toward denuclearization. They met again in Hanoi in February 2019, but negotiations ended without a deal. A third encounter took place at Panmunjom on the Korean border in June 2019. Those meetings brought unprecedented personal diplomacy, although they failed to produce a lasting agreement on North Korea's nuclear arsenal.
US-North Korea nuclear diplomacy
Trump said in August that he hoped to meet Kim again before the end of 2026. US officials have also signaled a willingness to talk if doing so advances American interests. Still, basic differences remain over sanctions, security assurances and the future of North Korea's nuclear weapons. A renewed handshake might reopen communication, but any diplomatic breakthrough would require detailed negotiations beyond the leaders' personal relationship.
North Korea missile tests and regional security
The possibility of talks comes against a tense backdrop. North Korea launched ballistic missiles on October 12, while its leadership has continued to showcase expanding weapons capabilities. The tests underline the challenges facing Washington, Seoul and Tokyo, even if direct diplomacy resumes. For now, Trump's comments signal openness rather than a confirmed summit or a change in US policy.
