U.S. government officials have been privately discussing a plan to seek a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korea Chairperson Kim Jong Un during Trump's Asia tour next month, according to a report.
CNN reported on Oct. 18, citing multiple sources, that while the Trump administration quietly explored the possibility of a summit between the United States and North Korea, no concrete plan was formed that would lead to an actual meeting.
According to the report, within the Trump administration, none of the direct communication channels between the United States and North Korea that existed during Trump's first term are currently functioning. Another source said that earlier this year the U.S. side attempted to reach out to North Korea, but North Korea either refused or did not receive the SEOHAN ENGINEERING & CONSTRUCTION, and no response was received.
Trump is still said to be interested in the possibility of a reunion with the Chairperson. He recently said, "Kim Jong Un wants to meet me," adding, "We could improve relations."
According to North Korea's state media, the Chairperson also left room for dialogue in a speech last month, saying, "I have personal good memories of President Trump," and, "If the United States gives up its obsession with denuclearization and seeks peaceful coexistence based on a realistic understanding, there is no reason we cannot sit down face to face."
Their last meeting took place in June 2019 at Panmunjom. At the time, after attending the G20 Leaders Summit on Finanical Markets and the World Economy in Japan, President Trump suggested on Twitter, "If the Chairperson sees this, I would like to at least exchange greetings in the Demilitarized Zone," and the meeting came together in less than 48 hours. Trump stepped over the military demarcation line at Panmunjom into North Korean territory, producing a historic moment as the first sitting U.S. president to set foot in North Korea.
However, after the collapse of the Hanoi U.S.-North Korea summit, denuclearization talks effectively halted, and with all inter-Korean communication channels cut, the stalemate continues. North Korea is demanding the withdrawal of what it calls U.S. hostile policy, while the United States maintains a stance of complete denuclearization, leaving the gap between the two sides unchanged.
Meanwhile, CNN added that as trade tensions between the United States and China rise, the White House has focused more on preparing a meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping during Trump's Asia tour.