Trump shares photos with Kim Jong Un, excluding Hanoi summit images

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has released a series of photos with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, seemingly aiming to rekindle dialogue between the two nations. Trump posted three pictures on his social media platform, Truth Social, on June 24th (local time).

The first image dates back to the inaugural North Korea-U.S. summit held in Singapore in June 2018. The other two photos were taken during their meeting at the Panmunjom border village in June 2019. The selection notably excludes any images from the second North Korea-U.S. summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, in February 2019, which ended without an agreement due to disagreements over denuclearization steps and sanctions relief.

By highlighting the Singapore summit, where a joint statement was issued, and the Panmunjom meeting, where Trump crossed the military demarcation line to meet Kim, the former president appears to be evoking memories of successful diplomatic engagements. This move comes as North Korea has responded coolly to recent dialogue proposals.

Sources familiar with the discussions between South Korean and U.S. authorities told Reuters that Trump desires to resume talks with North Korea to achieve a diplomatic success that could offset domestic challenges, such as ongoing disputes with Iran. However, North Korea has not shown a clear positive reaction. Last week, the country launched several ballistic missiles into the East Sea, despite Trump's repeated gestures. While Trump has expressed his intention to meet Kim again by the end of the year, the likelihood of such a summit materializing remains uncertain.

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Former U.S. President Donald Trump released three photos with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, signaling a desire to restart dialogue.