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Prime minister says Trump seemingly very open to talks with North, but timing not a pressing issue

Published: 14 Mar. 2026, 11:15

North Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok and U.S. President Donald Trump speak at the White House in Washington on March 13. [PRIME MINISTER'S SECRETARIAT]

South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok said Friday that U.S. President Donald Trump remained positive about the resumption of dialogue with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un but left open the question of when they will meet again.

Kim made the remarks during a press briefing on the 20-minute talks with Trump at the White House, underlining Trump's show of interest in diplomacy with Pyongyang amid speculation that he could seek a meeting with the North Korean leader during his upcoming trip to China for a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The prime minister was in Washington to meet senior U.S. officials and others, including Vice President JD Vance and Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and promote Seoul's bid to host a United Nations hub for AI.

"President Trump expressed [his thoughts] this way. He said, 'Meeting [Kim Jong-un] is something good. But it could come during the period of my visit to China. It may not happen [during the visit] or could take place afterward," the prime minister said, adding that he believes "that means the timing is not at the core of the issue."

Trump reportedly plans to travel to China from late March to early April.

Some observers said that Trump could seek to rekindle his personal diplomacy with the North's leader while in Asia. But others are skeptical that Trump might lack time to focus on other major issues than the high-stakes summit with Xi, particularly when the United States is heavily consumed with the military operation against Iran.

Speculation has persisted about re-engagement as the White House has repeatedly said that Trump remains open to dialogue "without any preconditions."

The prime minister said that Trump asked him whether the reclusive leader in Pyongyang is willing to engage with the United States. He also pointed out that Trump spent a considerable portion of the talks asking for his thoughts on North Korea-related issues.

"[President Trump] said that he has maintained good relations with Chairman Kim Jong-un," Prime Minister Kim said. "And he also asked for my views, saying that he is wondering if Chairman Kim wants dialogue with the U.S. and President Trump."

The prime minister also told Trump that President Lee Jae Myung has portrayed him as "the only leader" capable of addressing Korean Peninsula issues, and echoed that sentiment.

"I told President Trump that basically, he is the only Western leader who engaged in dialogue with Chairman Kim and the only leader who has the capacity to play the role of a peacemaker to address Korean Peninsula issues," he said.

When talking about his leadership for peace on the peninsula, Trump asked his staff to bring him a photo of him and the North Korean leader that was taken when the two sides met at the inter-Korean truce village of Panmunjom in June 2019, according to the prime minister.

He said that he shared some of his ideas regarding diplomacy with North Korea, and that Trump directed his aides to consider steps related to the relations with the North.

He did not elaborate on those ideas and Trump's directive, citing diplomatic protocol.

"I told [Trump] that it would be better to increase contact and dialogue [with North Korea] to revive even a small possibility," he said.

He also told Trump that there has been a positive shift in North Korea's rhetoric to a statement that "there is no reason that the Washington-Pyongyang relationship should remain bad."

"I pointed out that the North used an improved expression that appeared to hint at [its interest in] a normalization of relations, and that at the very least, the possibility of contact and dialogue remained open," he said.

During a key ruling party congress last month, the North Korean leader said that Pyongyang has "no reason not to get along with the United States" if Washington withdraws its hostile policy, noting that the prospects of U.S.-North Korea ties "entirely depend on the U.S. attitude." He has shown no interest in inter-Korean dialogue.

On Thursday, the prime minister had a meeting with Vance, who was joined by U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer.

They discussed a range of issues, including the launch of U.S. trade investigations into 16 economies, including South Korea, under Section 301 of the 1974 Trade Act, a legal provision that allows the USTR to investigate unfair foreign trade practices on a country-by-country basis.

"Currently, our government's position is that South Korea should not be put at a disadvantage compared to other countries with regard to the Section 301 investigation," the prime minister said. "But USTR Greer said that South Korea could be in a more advantageous position than other countries in some cases, calling for close communication to address the issues."

Greer also said that the Section 301 inquiry does not specifically target South Korea as it covers various U.S. trading partners, including China and Japan, according to the prime minister.

Yonhap