Trump Acknowledges North Korea as Nuclear Power and Offers to Meet Kim Jong Un During Asia Tour

Across a broad range of outlets, Trump said North Korea is “sort of a nuclear power.”

“South Korea’s unification minister, Chung Dong-young, urged US President Donald Trump to hold talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during Trump’s upcoming Asia visit, calling it a rare and valuable opportunity to promote peace and improve North Korea’s global standing and economy”

StratNews Global

He acknowledged it has many nuclear weapons and signaled he is open to meeting Kim Jong Un during his Asia trip that includes the APEC forum in South Korea.

StratNews Global

Several sources also note he framed this amid recalling a previously “great relationship” with Kim and that any meeting would be the first since 2019, when talks later stalled.

While some coverage stresses his openness, others highlight that his answer on formal recognition was evasive or qualified.

Whether a Trump–Kim encounter will happen on this trip remains unclear.

Multiple outlets report optimism from South Korea’s unification minister and point to the suspension of tours at the Joint Security Area (JSA) as fueling speculation.

The Straits Times

Senior U.S. officials and several reports say no meeting is currently scheduled.

Some even say no preparations have been made, despite chatter about activity near Panmunjom.

Coverage of Trump’s broader Asia agenda varies widely.

Several outlets say he will meet China’s Xi Jinping amid trade talks, with some framing it as an effort to deescalate a trade war.

Others detail potential bargaining points such as soybeans, fentanyl, and rare-earths.

Additional reports add issues like Taiwan and the detention of Jimmy Lai to the Xi agenda.

Separately, some Asian outlets list Malaysia’s ASEAN meetings and stops in Japan, expanding the tour beyond the South Korea APEC schedule highlighted elsewhere.

Outlets also revisit the Trump–Kim history: they met three times, including the 2019 DMZ encounter, but secured no denuclearization deal.

Since then, North Korea has carried out multiple missile tests.

Anadolu Ajansı

Reporting differs on Kim’s language for rejecting Washington’s denuclearization demand—some call it “absurd,” others “delusional.”

Several agree Pyongyang seeks recognition as a nuclear power or a shift in U.S. demands as the price for renewed dialogue.

Regional and U.S. responses also diverge.

“US President Donald Trump will not hold meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during his forthcoming five-day Asian diplomatic tour, senior American officials confirmed Friday”

Yeni Safak English

South Korea’s leadership publicly supports renewed engagement.

Mint

The White House line, reported by several outlets, is that policy is unchanged but dialogue is open without preconditions.

At the same time, U.S. officials in some reports flatly rule out a meeting on this trip.

Other reports quote Trump expressing a desire to meet next week, keeping expectations unsettled.