19.08.2026 10:20
US President Donald Trump reportedly wants to hold a face-to-face meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un before the end of this year and has ordered that a possible meeting take place on the sidelines of the 2026 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders' Summit.
It has been claimed that US President Donald Trump wants to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un face-to-face before the end of this year and has instructed that a potential meeting take place on the sidelines of the 2026 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders' Summit.
UNEXPECTED REQUEST FROM TRUMP
According to US officials who spoke to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), Trump has privately raised his desire to meet Kim face-to-face and suggested that the meeting could take place as part of his Asia trip in November for the APEC Summit to be held in Shenzhen, China.
While it is claimed that Trump has instructed his advisors regarding the possibility of meeting Kim, a White House official stated that the formal preparation process for a potential meeting has not yet begun and that the two leaders would meet at an "appropriate time."
US President Trump, on August 16, citing his good relations with North Korean leader Kim, had ordered a "significant" reduction in joint military exercises with South Korea.
"HE DIDN'T LIKE BIDEN AND OBAMA, BUT HE'S FINE WITH ME"
In another statement, Trump also conveyed that Kim respects him, saying, "I understand him, and he understands me. He doesn't like many people; he didn't like Biden and Obama, but he has a good relationship with me."
Trump and Kim met three times: in Singapore in June 2018, in Hanoi in February 2019, and in June 2019 at Panmunjom, the border village between North and South Korea.