North Korean silence signals Trump-Kim summit unlikely: US, South Korean officials

American and South Korean officials believe it is becoming increasingly unlikely that a summit will take place between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un this year, according to five sources familiar with the situation. The US has not received any response from North Korea regarding a meeting between Trump and Kim, and there is a limited window before a regional summit in China next month when such a meeting might occur.

North Korean state media have indicated that Pyongyang would demand tough conditions, including sanctions relief, before agreeing to a bilateral summit. In August, Trump had stated his intention to meet Kim later in the year, and Kim reportedly responded positively to the outreach. South Korea’s intelligence agency estimated a 50% chance of a meeting between Trump and Kim at the November APEC summit in Shenzhen, China.

However, Trump recently downplayed the prospects of a meeting at the APEC summit or a regional summit in the Philippines, also in November, stating, "I get along with him very well, and I’m not sure that anybody’s asking for a meeting." North Korea has not shown any signs of preparing for a meeting with Trump, according to a South Korean official.

South Korea’s foreign ministry and North Korea’s permanent mission to the UN did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Despite historic meetings between Trump and Kim in 2018 and 2019, no concrete results were achieved. The US remains open to talking with Kim, without any preconditions, but no meetings have been announced at this time.