Sources say the initial aim is to restore basic communication between Washington and Pyongyang.
According to Reuters, President-elect Donald Trump’s team is considering direct talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to mitigate the risk of armed conflict. Sources informed Reuters that a primary objective would be to re-establish communication and improve relations with Kim, though no final decision has been made by the president-elect.
Kim Jong Un recently accused the US of escalating tensions and provocations, thereby increasing the threat of nuclear war.
The report notes that Trump recently appointed Alex Wong, a former State Department official involved in North Korea strategy during his first term, as deputy national security advisor.
During his first presidency, Trump engaged in a war of words with Kim, employing insults and threats, before holding three meetings with him in Singapore, Hanoi, and the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). While Trump described their relationship as one of mutual affection, these summits failed to yield a denuclearization agreement or sanctions relief, and a subsequent period of hostility between North and South Korea followed a brief period of improved relations.
The report highlights Kim’s disregard for four years of outreach attempts from President Biden to initiate unconditional talks.
Under the Biden administration, joint military exercises between Washington and Seoul resumed, a move Pyongyang views as a major security threat and potential precursor to invasion.
At a recent defense expo in Pyongyang, Kim criticized Washington’s global influence and use of military threats against opposing nations, including North Korea. He asserted that all avenues for negotiation with the US have been explored and that Washington’s hostile policy toward North Korea will remain unchanged.
Trump, during his campaign, suggested Kim missed him and implied North Korea would be less provocative under his leadership.
North Korean state media, however, countered these claims over the summer, stating that the country’s leadership is unconcerned about the US administration and will continue its nuclear weapons policy.