US and North Korea may hold new summit next year as Trump, Kim weigh next moves

SEOUL: South Korea’s intelligence agency believes there’s a strong chance that North Korea and the United States could hold a high-profile summit next year — a potential sign that relations between Pyongyang and Washington may be thawing after years of silence.

According to lawmaker Park Sun-won, who briefed reporters, South Korea’s  National Intelligence Service (NIS) assesses that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un may seek to meet US President Donald Trump sometime after March.

“The NIS sees a high likelihood of a US–North Korea summit,” Park said, noting that Pyongyang appears to be studying Trump’s foreign policy team closely — especially those who handle Korean peninsula issues.

Park added that the timing of any potential summit could hinge on several key events early next year, including the annual South Korea–US military drills, North Korea’s military parade, and a ruling party congress in Pyongyang.

Renewed diplomatic signals

During his visit to South Korea last week ahead of the APEC summit, Trump publicly called for a face-to-face meeting with Kim, rekindling memories of their headline-making diplomacy in 2018 and 2019. Kim has yet to respond to the overture.

A White House official told Reuters that Washington’s position remains unchanged, with President Trump willing to talk with Kim Jong Un without any preconditions, but there are no meetings yet to announce at this time.

Trump himself struck a typically confident tone, telling reporters, “We’ll come back, and at some point in the not-too-distant future, meet with North Korea.”

Signals from Pyongyang

Kim Jong Un has previously said he’s willing to resume talks if Washington drops its demand for full denuclearisation as a precondition — a major sticking point that led to the collapse of previous negotiations.

North Korea remains under heavy international sanctions over its nuclear and missile programmes.

Addressing recent rumours about Kim’s health, Park said the NIS had found no signs of serious problems, dismissing speculation about high blood pressure or other issues.

Spotlight on Kim’s daughter

Meanwhile, Kim’s daughter, Kim Ju Ae, is reportedly solidifying her role as her father’s likely successor. The teenage heir has stayed out of the public eye for about two months, after a high-profile trip to China in early September.

Park explained that she has been keeping a low profile to avoid overshadowing her father.

If the NIS assessment proves correct, a Trump–Kim summit next year would mark the first direct US–North Korea engagement in years — potentially reshaping the diplomatic landscape of the Korean peninsula once again.