“Timing Just Didn’t Work Out”: Trump Calls Off Potential Summit With North Korea’s Kim Jong Un

Former President Donald Trump has officially ended intense speculation surrounding a possible meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, revealing that “timing” was the main hurdle preventing a summit during his current visit to South Korea.

Trump had previously expressed his desire to meet Kim during his Asia trip, which would have marked their first encounter since Trump’s time in the White House. However, just hours before Trump’s arrival in Seoul, North Korea test-fired cruise missiles, raising tensions and signaling to the international community that Pyongyang was still asserting its military strength.

“I know Kim Jong Un very well… we really weren’t able to work out timing,” Trump said, addressing the missed opportunity.

Despite the setback, Trump remains optimistic about future discussions with North Korea, suggesting that he would still aim to address the ongoing tensions between Pyongyang and Seoul. He emphasized that his goal was to help “straighten out” the fragile situation on the Korean Peninsula.

Trump’s comments came during a summit with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, who praised the former president’s willingness to engage with Kim, describing it as a gesture that brought “significant warmth and peace” to the region.

Earlier, Trump had expressed confidence that he would meet with Kim in the “not too distant future,” adding, “At some point, we’ll be involved with North Korea. I think they’d like to, and I’d like to.”

The potential summit would have been the latest in a series of high-profile meetings between the two leaders. The last meeting, held in the demilitarized zone (DMZ) in 2019, was an impromptu event arranged via a tweet from Trump. The meeting marked a historic moment, with Trump becoming the first sitting U.S. president to step onto North Korean soil.

However, after that meeting, talks stalled over disagreements on denuclearization, with North Korea remaining adamant about its status as an “irreversible” nuclear state. The lack of progress has cast a long shadow over future diplomatic efforts.

Despite these challenges, Trump’s interest in continuing dialogue with North Korea remains undeterred, with the hope that the “right timing” may present itself in the future.