[Breaking News] “Trump pushes for meeting with Kim Jong-un as early as this fall,” WSJ reports

The Wall Street Journal reported on 18th (local time) that US President Donald Trump is pushing for direct talks between himself and North Korean Deputy Prime Minister Kim Jong-un if the opportunity arises in the fall. Following a reduction in joint US-ROK military exercises and Kim's emphasis on a "good relationship", this effort to revive inter-Korean and US-North Korean diplomacy appears to be gaining momentum.

WSJ cited US officials as saying Trump's officials are pressuring him to pursue this approach. Trump has previously attempted to meet with Kim during last year's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit and reportedly invited him to meet in Pyongyang, though the meeting did not materialize due to tight schedules. Trump had also expressed concerns that a meeting with Kim could overshadow the meeting with China's State Councilor Xi Jinping slated for Korea this fall.

While formal preparations for a direct meeting have not yet begun, WSJ noted Trump's determination to make inter-Korean diplomacy his signature foreign policy achievement, even despite his inability to secure North Korea's nuclear disarmament during his first term.