South Korea urges Trump to meet Kim Jong Un during upcoming Asia trip
South Korea’s unification minister has called on U.S. President Donald Trump to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during his upcoming visit to Asia, describing it as a rare opportunity for peace.
Unification Minister Chung Dong-young, Seoul’s top policymaker on inter-Korean affairs, said Trump’s trip to South Korea is an “opportunity from the heavens” that could boost North Korea’s global standing and strengthen its economy, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
“The leaders of North Korea and the U.S. must not miss this chance,” Chung told South Korean media. “They need to make a bold decision.”
Trump previously met Kim three times during his last term as president, but those talks failed to resolve the North’s nuclear program due to disagreements over sanctions and dismantling nuclear facilities. While officials in Seoul remain skeptical that a new meeting could happen next week, they welcomed the potential for a diplomatic breakthrough.
Trump departs Washington Friday night for a five-day Asia trip covering Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea—his first visit to the region since taking office in January. Chung noted that the timing could allow the two leaders to meet without the usual complex preparations, which could enhance North Korea’s international standing and improve its people’s lives.
The last meeting between Trump and Kim took place at the Panmunjom truce village on the inter-Korean border in 2019, arranged immediately after a visit to Japan for a global summit.
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