South Korea’s Spy Agency Sees Signs of Dialogue Between Washington and Pyongyang

A meeting between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un could happen “at any time,” South Korea’s spy agency told lawmakers, while acknowledging that it had not confirmed a specific contact between Washington and Pyongyang.

The National Intelligence Service gave the assessment during a closed parliamentary intelligence committee meeting. Lawmaker Yoon Kun-young said the agency reported “signs of dialogue” between the United States and North Korea. Trump has recently sent repeated messages expressing a desire to speak with Kim.

The agency said it had found no contact through its own channels concerning President Lee Jae Myung’s proposal in an Aug. 15 address for discussions among the parties to formally end the Korean War.

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We should view a North Korea-U.S. summit as possible at any time.

The briefing also addressed Kim’s daughter, Kim Ju Ae. The intelligence service views her as effectively designated to succeed her father, Yoon said, adding that her increasingly frequent appearances in North Korean media appear intended to establish her as a leader in the eyes of the public.

North Korea’s possible deployment of additional troops to the war in Ukraine was described as fluid. The agency said the likelihood would fall sharply while Pyongyang was engaged in dialogue with Trump, but could change with circumstances. It also told lawmakers that it was analyzing internal North Korean Workers’ Party documents and missile design drawings.

The agency said North Korea had expanded its Reconnaissance General Bureau into a General Bureau of Reconnaissance and Intelligence. According to lawmakers, the change was linked to stronger counterintelligence functions and to assigning bureau chief Ri Chang Ho additional responsibility for handling operational information from the Ukraine war. Separately, the agency reported launching a broad inspection connected to the Dec. 3 alleged insurrection in South Korea, including concerns over a task force accused of monitoring civilians.

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There are signs of dialogue between North Korea and the United States.