Trump seeks meeting with North Korean leader to revive nuclear talks

The Wall Street Journal reported, citing US officials, that President Donald Trump is urging his aides to arrange a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as soon as possible this fall, in an effort to revive the diplomatic initiatives he launched during his first term to persuade Kim to abandon his country's nuclear weapons program.

Officials said Trump has privately discussed the possibility of a direct meeting with Kim during his upcoming trip to Asia, which could take place in November when world leaders gather for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen, China.

According to the Wall Street Journal, although no formal arrangements have begun yet, Trump's desire for a high-level meeting with Kim indicates he is "actively seeking a major foreign policy achievement" at a time when a breakthrough with Iran remains elusive.

Most US presidents have refrained from meeting the North Korean leader, whose country possesses dozens of nuclear warheads, without preconditions. While Trump views a new bilateral summit as an opportunity to reopen dialogue with North Korea, analysts and US officials said they do not expect significant progress, as Kim's nuclear arsenal has grown larger, more advanced, and more capable of targeting the United States since the three previous summits between Trump and Kim.

North Korea supports Washington's engagement with Pyongyang in hopes of boosting regional stability, but analysts and US officials warned that reaching a "bad deal" could ultimately harm relations with regional allies such as South Korea.