Trump Asks If Kim Jong Un Ready for Talks After Meeting South Korea PM

3 min readUpdated: Mar 14, 2026 08:40 AM A fresh diplomatic opening with North Korea may be under consideration after Donald Trump held talks in Washington with Kim Min-seok, during which the leaders discussed the potential for renewed engagement with Kim Jong Un, according to a report Yonhap news agency cited Reuters.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Kim Min-seok said Trump asked whether North Korea’s leader might be willing to reopen communication with the United States. “President Trump said he was curious if Kim wants to talk to the US or him and asked about my views on that,” Kim Min-seok said, according to Yonhap.
The South Korean prime miner said he conveyed his assessment that recent remarks from Pyongyang could signal openness to dialogue, though he did not elaborate on the advice he offered during the discussion. He added that Trump appeared particularly interested in the possibility of renewed talks.
Trump and Kim Jong Un previously met three times during Trump’s earlier presidency, beginning with their landmark summit in 2018. The meetings were intended to reduce tensions and explore a framework under which Pyongyang might abandon its nuclear weapons programme. However, the diplomatic process lost momentum after the second summit failed to produce a breakthrough, and further negotiations did not progress after Trump left office.

A South Korean government official confirmed that the meeting between Trump and Kim Min-seok took place on Friday in Washington but declined to share additional details, the Reuters reported. Kim’s office in Seoul did not immediately respond to requests for comment, while the White House also did not provide an immediate response regarding the unannounced meeting, the report added.
Kim Min-seok in Washington
The Washington visit also included a separate discussion between Kim Min-seok and JD Vance the day before. During that conversation, the South Korean prime miner highlighted the approval South Korea’s parliament of legislation enabling the government to move forward with a $350 billion investment commitment tied to agreements between the two countries’ leadership.
According to Kim’s office, Vance welcomed the legislative approval, saying it established the legal foundation required to implement the investment initiative. He also emphasised the importance of maintaining close coordination between Washington and Seoul as the agreement moves forward, Reuters reported.Story continues below this ad
Trade relations between the two allies have recently faced pressure. Earlier this year, Trump warned that tariffs on South Korean exports could increase to 25 per cent if Seoul failed to implement the agreed trade framework, which previously kept US duties capped at 15 percent.

Despite such tensions, the United States and South Korea continue to maintain a close strategic partnership. The alliance includes significant military cooperation and the presence of more than 28,000 American troops stationed in South Korea.
At the same time, regional security developments appear to be evolving. South Korean media outlets have reported that certain US missile defence systems previously deployed at Osan Air Base may have been relocated and could be sent to American bases in Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.