President Trump remains open to unconditional talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, as South Korea warns that North Korea’s missiles could reach the U.S. mainland.
The White House has confirmed that President Donald Trump is willing to engage in discussions with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un “without any preconditions.” This statement comes amid warnings from South Korea that North Korea’s missile capabilities could potentially reach the U.S. mainland.
A White House official emphasized that Trump, during his first term, held three significant summits with Kim that contributed to stabilizing the Korean Peninsula. “U.S. policy on North Korea has not changed,” the official stated. “President Trump remains open to talking with Kim Jong Un, without any preconditions.”
South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young made a stark assertion in Berlin this week, indicating that North Korea has become one of the few nations capable of launching an attack on the U.S. mainland. “What needs to be acknowledged should be acknowledged rationally,” he told reporters, as reported by the Yonhap News Agency. The White House did not respond to requests for comment regarding Chung’s claims.
Chung also noted that North Korea’s “strategic position is different” now compared to 2018, when Trump and Kim held their first summit in Singapore. “Acknowledging this reality should be the starting point” in addressing the regime, he added.
Experts have long suggested that North Korea possesses the capability to reach the U.S. mainland with intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). Bob Peters, a senior research fellow for strategic deterrence at the Heritage Foundation, stated, “They’ve tested ICBMs for a long time.” However, he pointed out that the critical question remains whether North Korea has developed a warhead capable of being accurately delivered by an ICBM.
Meanwhile, Kim Jong Un has indicated that dialogue with the U.S. is possible, but only on his terms. “If the United States drops the absurd obsession with denuclearizing us and accepts reality, and wants genuine peaceful coexistence, there is no reason for us not to sit down with the United States,” Kim was quoted as saying by state media.
A potential meeting with Kim would mark Trump’s fourth encounter with the North Korean leader, occurring at a time when relations between the two nations have become increasingly strained. In July, the White House reiterated that Trump “remains open to engaging with Leader Kim to achieve a fully denuclearized North Korea.” However, North Korea has made it clear that it will not engage with the U.S. if denuclearization is a precondition.
On Monday, North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Son Gyong addressed the United Nations General Assembly, asserting that his country will never abandon its nuclear program, according to reports from Reuters.
Trump is set to travel to Asia later this month for an economic leaders’ summit with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung. A senior U.S. official indicated that there are currently no plans for a meeting in the Demilitarized Zone with Kim. However, reports suggest that Trump may meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, scheduled for October 30 to November 1. Plans for this meeting are still being finalized.
In a recent call, Xi extended an invitation to Trump and First Lady Melania Trump to visit China, which Trump reciprocated. The U.S. official noted that any progress on nuclear negotiations would depend significantly on China. “The first thing that would need to happen is for the Chinese to acknowledge and be more transparent about its own programs,” the official stated.
Current U.S. estimates suggest that China’s nuclear arsenal may consist of approximately 600 warheads by 2024, with projections reaching 1,000 by 2030. In contrast, North Korea is believed to possess around 50 warheads, with sufficient fissile material for up to 90.
Last year, North Korea declared an “irreversible hegemonic position” following the test-firing of its Hwasong-19 intercontinental ballistic missile, which the regime claims can strike the American mainland. As tensions rise, Trump is reinforcing deterrence while keeping the door open for “talks without preconditions.”
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