Trump eyes North Korea talks after midterms but Kim holds leverage — SkimNews
Get the Geopolitics newsletter
Daily geopolitics — wars, elections, sanctions, the diplomatic moves that move markets. Free.
- Trump could intensify efforts to re-engage North Korea following the midterm elections, seeking foreign policy wins in his final two years, according to analysts in Seoul, Tokyo, and Washington.
- Kim Jong Un has little incentive to respond to renewed diplomacy, with strengthened ties to Russia and China and a significantly expanded nuclear and missile arsenal since the 2019 summit collapse.
- Kim Yo Jong stated that dialogue remains possible but unnecessary for now, denouncing U.S. 'hostile policy' and rejecting accusations of North Korea stealing over $6 billion in virtual assets from Binance.
- U.S. and South Korean officials see fading prospects for a summit this year, noting no response from Pyongyang ahead of a regional meeting in China where a Trump-Kim meeting might have occurred.
- Regional allies South Korea and Japan are concerned they could be excluded from direct Trump-Kim talks, especially if Beijing and Moscow quietly support a deal that drops denuclearization demands.
- Trump has referred to North Korea as a nuclear power—a stance opposed by allies—and previously called Kim Jong Un a 'great guy' with whom he 'gets along very well.'
Why it matters: Trump’s push for a legacy-defining deal risks alienating U.S. allies and accepting North Korea’s nuclear status, which would fundamentally alter Asia’s security order. With Kim holding stronger leverage and no urgency to negotiate, any offer of major concessions faces domestic and regional resistance.
Ask SkimNews
