Former U.S. Deputy National Security Advisor: "Possible Surprise Meeting Between Trump and Kim Jong Un"

Trump to Visit South Korea on the 29th
No Meeting Scheduled Yet with Kim Jong Un
"Trump Always Tries the Unexpected"

There is speculation that U.S. President Donald Trump, who will visit South Korea on October 29 to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, may have a surprise meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Yonhap News Agency

On October 25 (local time), K.T. McFarland, who served as Deputy National Security Advisor at the White House during Trump's first term, made this observation during the conservative news channel Newsmax’s current affairs talk show "The Count." She said, "The one thing you can always expect from Donald Trump is that he will do the unexpected."

She clarified, "There is no meeting scheduled," but noted that President Trump met with Chairman Kim Jong Un during his first term, which resulted in North Korea halting its nuclear weapons and missile tests. She claimed that the meeting was highly successful.

She added, "As a result of that meeting, President Trump gained the trust of the North Korean side," and predicted, "Perhaps President Trump may try to do it again."

The British daily The Independent explained that President Trump and Chairman Kim met face-to-face three times during Trump's first term. If this meeting takes place, it would be their first encounter since the Panmunjom meeting in 2019.

President Trump will visit Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea in succession. He departed Washington, D.C. on the night of October 24, Eastern Time, and will attend the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) summit on October 26. On October 27, he will visit Japan for a summit meeting with newly appointed Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. Afterward, he will travel to South Korea to attend the APEC summit. President Trump is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan on October 30.

When asked on his private plane about the possibility of meeting Chairman Kim at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), President Trump told accompanying reporters, "If he reaches out, I would like to do that." He added, "The last time I met him (in June 2019), I made public on the internet that I was coming to South Korea. If he wants to meet, I am definitely open to it."