Trump "Wants to meet North Korea's Kim Jong Un in South Korea... will discuss China and Taiwan"

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, said on the 24th (local time) that he would like to meet North Korea's Kim Jong Un during his visit to South Korea.

According to AFP and Reuters, before departing on his Asia tour, at the White House when reporters asked about the possibility of meeting Chairman Kim, President Trump said, "I would like to do that. He (Chairman Kim) knows we are going over there."

He added, "I don't know, but we told them (Kim's side). He also knows I'm going," repeatedly emphasizing. A meeting with Chairman Kim is not included in the schedule announced by the U.S. government, but he publicly expressed his willingness. President Trump also said he is "100% open" to meeting with Chairman Kim, adding, "I get along with him very well."

President Trump had a 'surprise meeting' with Chairman Kim at Panmunjom on June 30, 2019, during his first term. The public trigger was a post on SNS that morning saying, "If Chairman Kim Jong Un sees this post, we might be able to shake hands and greet," but it was later revealed that the U.S. government had been preparing for this meeting in advance.

However, a senior Trump administration official said in a phone briefing with major media outlets that while the president of course expressed a desire to meet Kim Jong Un in the future, it is not part of this tour's schedule. The official said, "Of course, changes could occur," leaving a small margin for possibility.

President Trump said that if he meets Xi Jinping of China in South Korea during the Asia tour, he will discuss the Taiwan issue with him.

He said, "The Taiwan issue will be one of the topics discussed in the meeting with Chairman Xi."

On the occasion of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit held in Gyeongju, President Trump and Chairman Xi are scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting in Busan on the 30th.

Trump also said that Jimmy Lai, an anti-China figure and former owner of Hong Kong's Apple Daily (closed in 2021) who has been detained for years, should be released. President Trump departed Washington DC on the night of the 24th (daytime of the 25th in Asia) on Air Force One and will visit Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea in sequence for four nights and five days.

Washington = Sang-eun Lee, correspondent selee@hankyung.com