In New York on Oct. 18, South Korea’s ambassador to the United States, Kang Kyung‑wha, said there is still no clear plan for a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong‑un at this month’s APEC summit in Gyeongju.
The comments came while Kang spoke at a parliamentary audit of the Korean mission at the U.N. headquarters. Speculation has long run that Trump might use his trip to the APEC talks, scheduled for Oct. 31‑Nov. 1, to renew a personal dialogue with Kim—echoing the two‑way visits the former U.S. president staged in 2018 and 2019.
“We know Trump has said he’s open to talking and North Korea has shown a willingness for dialogue, but nothing concrete is set for the APEC summit,” Kang told lawmakers in the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee. She added that Seoul is still monitoring developments and keeps the possibility of a Trump‑Kim meeting on the table.
Last month, the White House reiterated that Trump remains prepared to discuss North Korea “without any preconditions,” a stance that fuels hopes of a breakthrough when the U.S. president arrives in Korea. Kim has likewise signaled openness to talks if Washington waives its insistence on North Korea’s denuclearisation.
Historically, Trump’s personal diplomacy with Kim produced three face‑to‑face meetings: in Singapore (June 2018), Hanoi (Feb. 2019), and at the inter‑Korean border village of Panmunjom (June 2019). During the audit, Kang refrained from predicting whether Kim would accept U.S. recognition of North Korea’s nuclear arsenal if a meeting came to pass. She noted that the United States has repeatedly said it wants to resume dialogue conditions‑free.
Kang also addressed the prospect of a summit between South Korean President Lee Jae‑myung and Trump during the APEC gathering. She said leaders are coordinating final logistics to make a meeting feasible.
At the start of the session, Kang reaffirmed Seoul’s commitment to easing tensions on the Korean Peninsula through dialogue with North Korea. She pledged that South Korea would strengthen cooperation with Washington while also pressing Pyongyang to respond earnestly to diplomatic overtures, even as the North rejects talks and continues advancing its nuclear and missile programs.
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Source: ianslive
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