WASHINGTON: United States President Donald Trump may explore renewed diplomacy with North Korea during Monday’s White House meeting with South Korea’s new President Lee Jae Myung.
Trump previously held three landmark summits with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during his first term, famously claiming they “fell in love.”
South Korea’s new leader advocates for engagement with Pyongyang, potentially aligning with Trump’s preference for dramatic foreign policy moves.
Victor Cha, a former Asia advisor to President George W Bush, noted Trump’s “appetite for big news” following his inconclusive Alaska summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Having the Alaska summit not go as well as he wanted may make the president much more interested in seeing this meeting with South Korea come off very well,“ said Cha, Korea chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
North Korea has significantly strengthened its relationship with Russia since Trump’s first term, supplying troops and weapons for Moscow’s campaign in Ukraine.
“If there is one reason why North Korea’s not interested in any of these dialogues with the South Koreans and the Americans, it’s because of all they’re getting from Russia,“ Cha observed.
President Lee represents South Korea’s political left but shares some common ground with Trump regarding questions about United States military commitments.
Both leaders have previously questioned the American military presence in South Korea, where twenty-eight thousand five hundred United States troops remain stationed.
Since taking office, Lee has maintained traditional alliances by conducting joint military exercises with Washington and visiting Japan before the United States.
Tensions recently escalated on the Korean peninsula with North Korea testing new missiles and South Korean troops firing warning shots at border-crossing soldiers.
North Korea’s nuclear stance has likely hardened following United States and Israeli strikes against Iranian facilities, with both Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently referring to Pyongyang as a “nuclear power.”
Lee proposes a three-phase approach involving freezing, reducing, and ultimately dismantling North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.
Analyst Rachel Minyoung Lee believes this approach “likely will resonate with President Trump, who is keen to engage North Korea.”
She noted that South Korea seeks to avoid being sidelined in any future United States negotiations with North Korea.
The analyst expressed skepticism about North Korea’s willingness to denuclearize given its current advantageous relationship with Russia.
North Korea has consistently rejected denuclearization talks, including offers from former President Joe Biden for lower-level dialogue. – AFP