Archive · 19 Aug 2026
Trump Seeks Year-End Meeting With North Korea’s Kim
Donald Trump wants to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un again.
He has reportedly asked his aides to arrange the meeting before the year ends.
The meeting might happen during a trip to Asia in November.
The White House has not confirmed a date.
Trump recently ordered fewer military exercises between the United States and South Korea.
He said the exercises sent an unfriendly message to North Korea.
Trump and Kim have met three times before, but they did not reach an agreement.
North Korea still has nuclear weapons and has become closer to Russia and China.
Because of these issues, a quick breakthrough may be difficult.
Donald Trump is urging aides to arrange a meeting with Kim Jong-un by the end of the year.
The preferred timing is reportedly during Trump’s planned Asia visit in November.
The White House did not confirm the report, saying the leaders would meet at an appropriate time.
Trump recently ordered a substantial reduction in US-South Korea military drills, calling them hostile and harmful to his relationship with Kim.
Previous summits produced no agreement, while North Korea has expanded its nuclear capabilities and strengthened ties with Russia and China.
- Who
- US President Donald Trump and North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un.
- What
- Trump is reportedly pressing aides to arrange a new meeting with Kim by year-end.
- When
- The preferred timing is this fall, potentially during Trump’s Asia visit in November.
- Where
- The proposed meeting location is not specified; Trump’s possible Asia trip is mentioned.
- Why
- Trump appears to be reviving diplomatic engagement with Kim after reducing US-South Korea military drills, while previous discussions on denuclearisation remained unresolved.
Diplomatic Engagement
Cautious Skepticism
Holding another summit
Diplomatic Engagement
Trump is pressing aides to arrange a meeting, and North Korea reportedly signalled openness to one.
Cautious Skepticism
The White House has not confirmed a date, and earlier meetings did not produce a conclusive agreement.
Reducing military drills
Diplomatic Engagement
Trump said the exercises sent an inappropriate and hostile message and harmed his relationship with Kim.
Cautious Skepticism
The report says North Korea’s nuclear arsenal and missile capabilities have expanded, while its ties with Russia and China have strengthened, making an immediate breakthrough unlikely.
- Reported objective
- Trump wants to meet Kim Jong-un by the end of the year.
- Possible timing
- The meeting could take place during Trump’s next Asia visit in November.
- White House position
- The White House did not confirm the report and said the leaders would meet at an appropriate time.
- Previous meetings
- Trump and Kim met three times during Trump’s first term, without reaching a conclusive agreement.
- Military drills
- Trump ordered the Department of Defense to substantially reduce US-South Korea military exercises.
- North Korean nuclear estimate
- Independent estimates cited in the report put North Korea’s arsenal at about 60 nuclear warheads, with material for at least 30 more.
- North Korean military assessment
- Assistant Defense Secretary Robert Kadlec told Congress that North Korea’s nuclear and missile forces are increasingly capable of targeting the United States, South Korea, and Japan.