Trump’s indication of reengaging N. Korea’s Kim raises specter of another summit, but in different theater

U.S. President Donald Trump’s indication of reengaging North Korean leader Kim Jong-un raises the possibility of renewed nuclear summit diplomacy between Washington and Pyongyang, except this time, if realized, it is likely to take place in a very different setting from where the talks left off six years ago.

Trump said in an interview with Fox News on Thursday (U.S. time) that he will reach out to Kim again, casting the reclusive leader as a “smart guy,” in what appears to suggest that Kim could be one that he can communicate with for negotiations.

“I will, yeah,” Trump said when asked if he will reach out to the North.

Trump’s remark came days after his reference to the North as a “nuclear power” sparked speculation that his new administration might recognize the regime as a nuclear-weapon state and that it might be a strategic move to pave the way for reviving talks with Kim.

During his election campaign, Trump repeatedly boasted about his personal ties with Kim, but Trump’s latest comment is seen as the strongest remark he has made about his potential engagement with the North’s leader.

Upon his inauguration on Monday, Trump said Kim will be “happy” to see his comeback to the White House.

The growing likelihood of another Trump-Kim summit stands in contrast to the views of many experts, who see the chances as fairly low, as Trump has a handful of other foreign policy priorities to address first, primarily Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East.

However, Trump’s repeated mentions of Kim are increasingly adding weight to the possibility of another meeting between them.

The talks, if they materialize, could be intended to facilitate an end to the prolonged war in Ukraine, given that Trump has called for the need to reach an agreement to settle the conflict.

In an interview with TIME magazine in December, Trump said Pyongyang’s involvement in Moscow’s war against Kyiv is a “very complicating” factor, adding that he “got along with Kim Jong-un very well.”

Trump may view North Korea’s deployment of troops to Russia’s front lines in support of Moscow as a factor contributing to the prolongation of the conflict, and could demand Kim withdraw his troops from Russia as a condition for resuming talks.

Despite the looming prospects, observers said it remains uncertain whether Kim will accede to Trump’s calls for talks, as the current security landscape has changed compared to Trump’s first term, when a flurry of nuclear diplomacy unfolded between Washington and Pyongyang.

North Korea’s nuclear and weapon capabilities are believed to be far more developed now compared to the time of their previous summits.

Trump met Kim three times during his first term. The first-ever summit took place in Singapore in June 2018, followed by the Hanoi summit in Vietnam in February 2019 that broke down without deal.

They met again in the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom in June 2019, but it did not lead to further negotiations due to differences over the scope of the North’s denuclearization and Washington’s sanctions relief.

Since the failed nuclear diplomacy with the United States, the North has turned to closely aligning with Russia, signing a military pact that includes a mutual defense clause.

With its weapons supply and troop deployment to Russia, the North is believed to have been receiving advanced military technologies from Moscow in return, along with food, fuel, security assurances and other forms of support.

Also at stake is whether the Trump administration will stick to its goal of North Korea’s denuclearization, a principle it shares with its ally, South Korea, even if talks do resume.

While the Trump administration has yet to outline its policy on North Korea, the approach hinted at by Trump and his officials in their public remarks suggests otherwise.

U.S. Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth also called the North a nuclear power during his confirmation hearing before the Senate. U.S. officials have mostly refrained from openly using the term as it could be seen as U.S. recognition of the North’s nuclear program.

A joint statement issued this week by the top diplomats of the Quad security forum — comprising the U.S., India, Japan and Australia — did not include a reference to reaffirming the commitment to the “complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,” a point that was mostly included in the previous statements.

Regarding recent remarks from Trump’s side, South Korea has emphasized that the denuclearization goal remains unchanged, stressing that these comments should not be seen as Washington moving toward recognizing North Korea as a nuclear-armed state.

South Korea’s top envoy to the U.S. Cho Hyun-dong said Thursday that the government will make sure that the allies maintain the goal of the North’s denuclearization.

“The (Seoul) government will strengthen North Korea policy coordination (with the U.S.) to disentangle the issue that has been intricately entangled due to North Korea’s participation in the war in Ukraine,” Cho said.