By Song Sang-ho
WASHINGTON, May 4 (Yonhap) — A meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is not currently scheduled during Trump’s upcoming trip to Asia this month, a White House official said Monday, amid speculation that he could seek to revive diplomacy with Pyongyang when opportunities arise.
The official’s remarks came as Trump plans to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on May 14 and 15 for a high-stakes summit that is expected to cover a range of issues, including trade, the security of Taiwan and the Middle East conflict.
“Such a meeting is not currently on the schedule,” the official said via email, responding to a question from Yonhap News Agency about whether there is any possibility that Trump may seek to reengage with Kim during his trip to China.
The White House has said that Trump was open to dialogue with North Korea “without any preconditions.”
But observers said that Trump might find it difficult to seek a meeting with Kim during his trip to China as he needs to focus on the high-stakes summit and the peace negotiations with Iran, to name a few.
Trump had three in-person meetings with Kim during his first term: the first meeting in Singapore in June 2018, the second in Hanoi in February 2019 and the third at the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom in June 2019.
This file photo, taken June 30, 2019, shows U.S. President Donald Trump (L) and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un meeting at the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom. (Yonhap)
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