Trump Embarks on Asia Tour
"100% Open to Meeting with Kim Jong Un"
Visiting South Korea on October 29?30... Meeting with President Xi Scheduled
President Donald Trump of the United States expressed on October 24 (local time) his desire to meet with Kim Jong Un, Chairman of North Korea's State Affairs Commission, during his visit to South Korea.
According to foreign media outlets such as AFP, before departing on his Asian tour that day, President Trump was asked by reporters at the White House about the possibility of meeting with Chairman Kim. He responded, "I would like to do that. He (Chairman Kim) knows we are going there."
He further emphasized, "I am not sure, but we have informed them (Chairman Kim's side). He also knows I am going." Additionally, President Trump said he is "100% open" to meeting with Chairman Kim, adding, "I get along with him very well."
President Trump departed the White House at around 11 p.m. that night, embarking on an Asian tour scheduled to conclude on the 30th. His itinerary begins in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (October 26-27), followed by Japan (October 27-29), and then South Korea (October 29-30).
It is interpreted that President Trump sent a strong message to Chairman Kim, expressing his wish to meet during his visit to South Korea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Gyeongju.
Depending on Chairman Kim's response, there is growing interest in whether the "surprise meeting" between President Trump and Chairman Kim at Panmunjom in June 2019 could be repeated.
Previously, a senior official from the Trump administration stated in a press briefing that, while the President has indeed expressed his willingness to meet Kim Jong Un in the future, there are no such plans during this tour. However, the official added, "Of course, things could change."
President Trump also announced that he would discuss the Taiwan issue with Chinese President Xi Jinping during their meeting in South Korea as part of his Asian tour. He said, "The Taiwan issue will be one of the topics discussed in my meeting with President Xi." Furthermore, he stated that Jimmy Lai, a prominent anti-China figure and former owner of Hong Kong's Apple Daily (which ceased publication in 2021), who has been detained for several years, should be released.
On the occasion of the APEC Summit in Gyeongju, President Trump and President Xi are scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting in Busan on the 30th.
Meanwhile, China's Xinhua News Agency reported that the United States and China will begin trade negotiations in Malaysia.
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