A suggestion from a close associate of U.S. President Donald Trump said Trump should first hold talks with President Lee Jae-myung and work closely with Korea before meeting Kim Jong-un, chairman of North Korea's State Affairs Commission.
Fred Fleitz, vice president of the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), a conservative U.S. think tank, sent an op-ed titled "Five things that must happen before Trump meets Kim Jong-un again" to the conservative outlet American Greatness on the 21st (local time). Vice President Fleitz, who served as chief of staff to the White House national security adviser during Trump's first term, is regarded as one of Trump's close associates.
In the op-ed, he said, "Before meeting the chairman, President Trump should hold talks with President Lee Jae-myung," adding, "If possible, it is desirable to visit Seoul." He continued, "A presidential visit to Korea would strongly convey the will toward the South Korea-U.S. relationship and the resolve to resume face-to-face diplomacy with Kim Jong-un, and efforts to meet Kim Jong-un are reportedly being pushed for this fall," adding, "As he did in 2018, Trump could reinforce his message with another major speech at Korea's National Assembly."
Fleitz also proposed dispatching Secretary of State Marco Rubio to Seoul to ensure a summit continues this fall. He said, "The Lee Jae-myung administration has shown stronger-than-expected cooperation in trade and security," citing as examples Korea's 7.5% increase in this year's defense budget, an additional $1 billion support for U.S. Forces Korea, a large-scale South Korea-U.S. shipbuilding cooperation agreement that will expand the U.S. Navy's capabilities, and expectations that U.S. corporations will win large contracts related to Korea's first nuclear-powered submarine and its civilian nuclear power program.
Fleitz said, "Secretary Rubio should assess these achievements and work with Seoul to finalize the details of a Trump–Kim Jong-un summit, regardless of whether it is held alone or on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in November in China."
In particular, regarding President Trump's directive to drastically scale back the annual South Korea-U.S. combined military exercises, he assessed, "If it can draw Kim Jong-un to talks, the price is minimal," while adding, "Secretary Rubio should ensure this concession is closely coordinated with Korea and does not go beyond what is necessary to bring Kim Jong-un to the negotiating table."
In addition, Fleitz recommended Michael DeSombrie, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, as special envoy for North Korea. He said Assistant Secretary DeSombrie, who has extensive experience in the Asia-Pacific and a clear America First orientation, is the right person to serve as special envoy for North Korea, a role that must be dedicated to facilitating peace talks and advancing denuclearization of North Korea.