October 18, 2025 | Washington, D.C.
The possibility of a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is reportedly under discussion, according to U.S. officials referencing CNN reports. The two may meet during President Trump’s upcoming Asia trip, although no formal arrangements or direct contact with Pyongyang have yet been confirmed.
In August, after a White House meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, Trump publicly stated he looked forward to meeting Kim. The suggestion from Seoul that the upcoming Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit might offer a venue has added fuel to speculation. Meanwhile, Kim has expressed a softening tone toward Washington, recently saying he holds “fond memories” of his 2018 talks with Trump and hinted at being open to a new meeting on condition the United States drops its insistence on North Korea’s complete denuclearization.
A summit would mark a major milestone in U.S.–North Korea diplomacy. Trump and Kim famously held three summits during Trump’s first term but ultimately achieved little concrete progress on denuclearization or formal peace. The potential meeting coincides with months of escalating North Korean missile tests, deeper cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow, and renewed urgency in Washington for a breakthrough.
Although discussions are reportedly underway, there has been no formal outreach between the U.S. and North Korean governments. North Korea maintains its nuclear arsenal is irreversible. Kim has stated the U.S. demand for full denuclearization is a nonstarter, insisting that a new diplomatic deal must acknowledge his country’s status. A direct Trump-Kim meeting could also strain the U.S. alliance with South Korea and Japan. Seoul, in particular, has expressed cautious optimism, with its unification minister suggesting that any summit might include discussions of joint U.S.–South Korea military drills as a compromise.
Past talks faltered when North Korea demanded sanctions relief in exchange for only limited relinquishment of its nuclear program. Analysts warn that without realistic goals and allied coordination, this effort too could collapse.
The APEC summit later this fall is seen as the most likely forum for the meeting. Should formal contact be made, announcements and preparatory work could accelerate quickly. Some observers suggest that a preparatory gesture, such as a letter from Trump to Kim, might precede any public confirmation of a face-to-face encounter. Still, the underlying issues remain unresolved, including North Korea’s nuclear weapons, military drills involving the U.S. and South Korea, and the overall architecture of peace and security on the Korean Peninsula. Whether the effort will lead to tangible outcomes remains uncertain.
