World · East Asia & Pacific · 2 hrs ago
North Korea unlikely to attend APEC or meet with US, South Korea says
North Korea is unlikely to attend next week's APEC summit in Shenzhen, China, a South Korean presidential official said.
The official also said there is little chance of a meeting between North Korea and the United States around the summit.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly offered to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to restart talks.
The summit is scheduled for next Wednesday and Thursday.
A possible meeting between Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin could provide a chance to discuss North Korea and other Korean Peninsula issues.
South Korea is watching for whether that meeting takes place, but no US-North Korea talks are expected based on the official's assessment.
A South Korean presidential official said the chances of contact between North Korea and the United States at upcoming summits are low.
The official said North Korea is unlikely to attend next week’s APEC summit in China.
The remarks came amid speculation about a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
South Korea also sees little chance of U.S.-North Korea contact around the ASEAN summit in the Philippines, according to Chosun Ilbo.
- Who
- North Korea and the United States.
- What
- South Korea sees little chance of contact between them at upcoming summits. A presidential official said North Korea is unlikely to attend the APEC summit.
- When
- The remarks were reported on Nov. 12, 2026. The APEC summit is scheduled for next Wednesday and Thursday.
- Where
- The summits are in the Philippines and Shenzhen, China.
- Why
- The sources do not state a specific reason. The remarks came amid speculation about a meeting between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Trump repeatedly offered to meet Kim Jong-un for talks.
A South Korean presidential official said North Korea was unlikely to attend APEC and that the chances of U.S.-North Korea talks were slim.
The ASEAN summit is scheduled to take place in the Philippines, followed by the APEC summit in China.
- Official remarks
- Nov. 12, 2026
- APEC location
- Shenzhen, China
- APEC schedule
- Next Wednesday and Thursday
- ASEAN summit location
- Philippines
- North Korean leader
- Kim Jong-un
6 sources
(LEAD) N. Korea unlikely to attend APEC or hold talks with U.S.: official
South Korea sees little prospect of US-North Korea contact around APEC
靑 "中APEC 계기 북미접촉 가능성 작아…그 전후는 단정 어려워"
靑 “APEC에서 북미 접촉 가능성 작아”
What people are saying
It would be difficult to say there is zero possibility of talks (between North Korea and the United States), but I think the probability might not be high