Trump says he does not know if he will meet Kim Jong Un in China next month
In short
Asked by reporters on Oct. 19 (US local time) whether he could meet the North Korean leader in China next month, US President Donald Trump answered "I don't know." He added that his relationship with Kim Jong Un is very good. Korean outlets read the remark as a step back from his comments a week earlier.
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US President Donald Trump said he did not know whether he would meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in China next month. He spoke to reporters at the White House on Oct. 19, local time, Korean outlets reported. Asked whether he thought he could meet the North Korean leader in China next month, he answered "I don't know either." Chosun Ilbo and Hankook Ilbo said he spoke before leaving for Kansas. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 11 , 12 ]
Dong-A Ilbo quoted him adding, in English, "I'm not sure that anybody's asking for a meeting." Hankook Ilbo quoted him as saying he did not know whether there was a proposal to hold talks. Several outlets said he also stressed his personal ties, saying he gets along very well with Kim and that the relationship is "very good." The meeting in question would be on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen, China, in November. [ 2 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 11 , 12 ]
A week earlier, on Oct. 12, Trump had been asked about meeting Kim during the APEC trip. Several outlets quoted him as saying "it could be" and that a meeting would be "exciting." Dong-A Ilbo gave the English words as "I may" and "That'll be an exciting one." Over recent weeks he had also said he wanted to meet Kim within the year, Korean outlets reported. [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 11 ]
Korean outlets read the latest remark as a step back. Chosun Ilbo, Seoul Economic Daily, Asia Economy and CBS NoCut News said it differed from his earlier offer of talks with no preconditions, and attributed this to North Korea's lack of response. Chosun Ilbo also cited analysts who said low approval ratings ahead of the November midterm elections may have made him wary of a meeting whose outcome was uncertain. These are the outlets' interpretations, not statements by Trump. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 9 ]
Chosun Ilbo also reported that the Kremlin said a separate meeting of the US, Chinese and Russian leaders at the APEC summit had been raised in working-level talks. It quoted Trump as saying he would take part if Chinese President Xi Jinping wanted one. A Chosun Ilbo piece noted that Unification Minister Jung Dong-young (정동영) had said five days earlier that a North Korea-US summit in China had entered "visible range." [ 3 , 10 ]
Why it matters
The remark lowers expectations of a Trump-Kim meeting on the sidelines of the November APEC summit in China, according to Korean outlets. Several outlets link this to the lack of a public response from North Korea.
Key facts
- Trump told reporters at the White House on Oct. 19 (local time) "I don't know" when asked whether he thought he could meet the North Korean leader in China next month. [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 5 , 11 , 12 ]
- He said he gets along very well with Kim Jong Un and that their relationship is very good. [ 2 , 4 , 5 , 11 , 12 ]
- Per Dong-A Ilbo, he also said he was not sure that anybody was asking for a meeting. [ 11 ]
- The meeting would take place around the APEC summit in Shenzhen, China, in November. [ 4 , 6 , 7 , 11 , 12 ]
- On Oct. 12 Trump had said a meeting during the APEC trip "may" happen and would be "exciting." [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 11 ]
- Several outlets said North Korea had not given a clear public response to his overtures. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 9 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Trump answered "I don't know" on Oct. 19 (US local time) when asked whether he could meet the North Korean leader in China next month. [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 5 , 11 , 12 ]
- Trump said his relationship with Kim Jong Un is very good. [ 2 , 4 , 5 , 11 , 12 ]
- On Oct. 12 Trump had said a meeting around the APEC summit was possible and would be exciting. [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 11 ]
- Korean outlets interpreted the Oct. 19 remark as a retreat from his earlier, more conciliatory position. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 9 , 12 ]
Still unclear
- Whether Trump and Kim will meet in China in November. Trump said he does not know, and the documents report no confirmed plan for a meeting.
- Whether anyone has requested a meeting. Dong-A Ilbo and Kyunghyang Shinmun quote Trump as saying he is not sure anybody is asking for one; Hankook Ilbo quotes him as not knowing if a proposal exists.
- Why Trump changed his tone. Outlets attribute it to analysts' readings, such as North Korea's lack of response, not to any statement by Trump.
- How Trump described his Oct. 12 comment. Most outlets quote him as saying "it could be" on Oct. 12, while a Newsis headline says he said a week earlier that it would "probably" happen.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Yonhap publishes a breaking-news item that Trump said "I don't know" about meeting Kim in China next month. [ 1 ]
- Asia Economy publishes the first article text on the remark. [ 2 ]
- Chosun Ilbo reports the remark as a step back and says a three-way summit with Xi and Putin was raised. [ 3 ]
- Chosun Ilbo contrasts the remark with Unification Minister Jung Dong-young's earlier statement that a summit had entered "visible range." [ 10 ]