The National Intelligence Service (NIS) of South Korea revealed in a briefing to lawmakers on Tuesday that its evidence suggests North Korea is preparing for direct engagement with President Donald Trump, including a potential meeting in March.
Various members of the National Assembly shared details of a private NIS audit with journalists on Tuesday, according to South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency and the Korea JoongAng Daily. Intelligence officials reportedly shared that they had evidence Pyongyang did some initial planning for the potential that Trump would meet with him after talking with communist dictator Xi Jinping last week during his tour of Asia, but that did not materialize. North Korean officials are reportedly still proceeding as if another meeting will soon occur.
President Trump visited Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea last week for policy discussions with various world leaders along with a stop on the sidelines of two summits: the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.
South Korean lawmaker Rep. Lee Seong-kweun told reporters that the NIS claimed, “Although the much-anticipated North Korea-U.S. summit during APEC failed to materialize, various channels confirm that North Korea has been preparing behind the scenes for dialogue with the U.S.”
“Kim Jong-un is willing to talk, and he will begin dialogues with the United States when [conditions] are met,” JoongAng quoted the NIS as telling members of the National Assembly. “They are likely to push for a North-U.S. summit after South Korea’s joint military training with the United States in March, while also preparing for its own parade.”
“We assess that Kim Jong-un has the will for dialogue with the U.S. and will engage with the U.S. once conditions are met,” Yonhap quoted the NIS as saying.
The NIS added that many of Kim Jong-un’s policies, including sending thousands of his soldiers to fight for Russia in the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, were intended to create “his own cult of personality that goes beyond his predecessors, Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong-il.” Kim Jong-un is reportedly investing heavily in “mosaic murals and creating new badges” for this purpose.
President Trump has been transparent about hoping for an in-person meeting with Kim Jong-un, whom he met with three times during his first term. On his Air Force One flight to Malaysia last weekend, Trump said that he would happily meet with Kim during this visit if he received word from Pyongyang that Kim was interested.
“The last time I met him, I put it out over the internet that I’m coming to South Korea and if he’d like to meet, I’m open to it. I’d do it,” Trump told reporters. “He probably knows I’m coming, right? If you want to put out the word, I’m open to it.”
On Monday, traveling to Japan, Trump said that he would “love to meet with him if he’d like to meet.”
“I just have a good relationship with him, I would love to see him,” Trump stated. “It’s [South Korea] our last stop, so it’s pretty easy to do.”
The proposed meeting did not happen, and North Korea has not made any indication, through its state media apparatus or official statements, that it was aware of Trump’s offer. Instead, the regime engaged in counterprogramming by sending its foreign minister, Choe Son-hui, on a tour of Russia and Belarus. Choe met with Putin last week to discuss bilateral trade and North Korea’s participation in the Ukraine invasion. Kim admitted this year to sending thousands of troops to Kursk, Russia — where Ukraine had counter-invaded last summer — to fight the Ukrainians. Last week, while Choe was on her eastern European tour, Kim attended a groundbreaking ceremony for a planned museum to honor North Koreans fighting Ukraine.
“Even the transfusion of a huge volume of blood by the United States and its Western bloc turned out futile,” Kim boasted in his speech at the museum event, “in making the righteous blood in the vessels of the two peoples cool, and even the appalling atrocities by fascism could not dampen the phoenix-like fighting spirit and valor.”
President Trump has attempted for months, with little success, to end the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The lack of progress on the matter is largely due to Putin’s intransigence, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has agreed to meet with Putin if necessary to discuss ending the hostilities.
Another issue looming over a potential Trump-Kim meeting is the U.S.-Japan relationship. Trump stopped in Japan last week and met for the first time with newly elected Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae, vowing to strengthen bilateral ties with the conservative leader. Takaichi and Trump also both met with the families of Japanese people believed to have been abducted by North Korea, often used to train spies. According to Takaichi, Trump said he would “do everything possible” to rescue the hostages, some of whom have been missing for decades.
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