In a recent meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, United States President Donald Trump expressed a desire to hold a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un this year. As he welcomed the new South Korean president to the White House, Trump affirmed his anticipation of a future encounter with the North Korean leader at an appropriate time. He said, “I’d like to meet him this year. I look forward to meeting with Kim Jong Un in the appropriate future.”
According to Reuters, since the January inauguration, the North Korean leader has not responded to the United States’ repeated attempts to revive the direct diplomatic talks that occurred during Trump’s 2017 to 2021 term in office. Those earlier discussions, however, did not result in a definitive agreement to halt North Korea’s nuclear program. Over the past several months, North Korea’s rhetoric has intensified, with Kim Jong Un pledging to accelerate his nuclear program and condemning the joint military drills conducted by the United States and South Korea.
