Trump Hopes to Rekindle Ties with Kim Jong Un During Asia Tour
With Donald Trump’s Asia tour underway, the former U.S. president expressed eagerness to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, hoping to revive the headline-grabbing diplomacy that once defined their relationship.
Back in 2018, Trump famously said he and Kim had “fallen in love” after exchanging letters. A year later, he made history by stepping across the border into North Korea, becoming the first sitting U.S. president to do so.
Before his latest trip — with stops in Malaysia, South Korea, and Japan — Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One he’d “love to see” Kim again if the North Korean leader was open to it. “If he wants to meet, I’ll be in South Korea,” Trump added with a grin.
So far, Pyongyang has remained silent. U.S. and South Korean officials confirmed no meeting plans had been made, though Trump said he hoped to use discussions on international sanctions to bring Kim “back to the table.”
Kim, meanwhile, hinted he might meet Trump again — but only if Washington drops its “absurd obsession with denuclearising us” and accepts “genuine peaceful coexistence.” He ruled out talks with South Korea for now.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, who took office in June, said Trump’s involvement could help ease tensions on the peninsula.
However, just before Trump arrived in Seoul, North Korea test-fired cruise missiles off its western coast, signaling continued defiance. Trump later confirmed no meeting would take place, citing “timing” issues but added, “At some point, we’ll be involved with North Korea. I think they’d like to, and I’d like to.”