Trump reportedly wants to meet Kim Jong-un before the end of 2026

US President Donald Trump reportedly wants to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un face-to-face before the end of this year and has instructed officials to explore the possibility of holding the meeting on the sidelines of the 2026 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Summit.

According to US officials who spoke to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), Trump has privately raised the possibility of meeting Kim during his planned trip to Asia for the APEC Summit, which will be held in November in Shenzhen, China, CE Report quotes Anadolu Agency.

Trump is reportedly instructing his advisers to consider the possibility of a meeting with Kim. However, a White House official said formal preparations for a potential meeting have not yet begun, adding that the two leaders would meet at an “appropriate time.”

On August 16, Trump reportedly instructed officials to “significantly” reduce joint military exercises with South Korea, citing his good relationship with the North Korean leader.

In another statement, Trump said Kim respects him, adding: “I understand him, and he understands me. He doesn’t like many people. He didn’t like Biden or Obama, but he has a good relationship with me.”

Trump and Kim have met three times: in Singapore in June 2018, in Hanoi in February 2019, and at Panmunjom, the village on the border between North and South Korea, in June 2019.

Photo: White House