U.S.-North Korea summit could come in November or December, experts say

A new meeting between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un could take place as early as November or December, according to diplomatic experts cited in South Korea.

Vincent Brooks, a former commander of U.S. Forces Korea, raised the possibility of a summit this year during a September 3 podcast hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. He said the earliest window could fall between the U.S. midterm elections in November and the G20 leaders’ meeting in Miami in December. He added that a summit was more likely after both events had taken place.

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The earliest possible time is between the November midterm elections and the G20 summit in December, but what is more likely is after both events have taken place.

This year’s APEC summit will be held in Shenzhen, China, in November, while the G20 summit will take place in Miami, Florida, in December. If Trump actively pursues a meeting, the two international gatherings could offer opportunities for contact. Brooks said an early summit would likely carry a stronger “showcase” character, while a later meeting could contain more substantive content.

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If you ask whether North Korea has closed the door to negotiations, the answer is no. North Korea has not closed the door.

Cha, a senior fellow whose full name was not given in the text, also said North Korea might wait for the U.S. midterm election results before engaging. He said he could imagine Trump directly inviting Kim to the G20 summit in the United States.

Both experts agreed that North Korea may still be willing to talk. Brooks said, “If you ask whether North Korea has closed the door to negotiations, the answer is no. North Korea has not closed the door.” He described Pyongyang as cautious and likened it to “a dog that has not barked.” Cha said North Korea had reasons to seek talks, including strengthening its position with China and Russia, the U.S. military operation in Venezuela, changes in the South Korea-U.S. alliance and the possibility that South Korea could acquire nuclear-powered submarines.

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A dog that has not barked.

The experts differed over Trump’s recent unilateral reduction of joint U.S.-South Korean exercises. Brooks said it could signal an opening for talks, but called the decision “honestly, extremely disrespectful to the alliance” because the drills belong to the alliance. Cha viewed the reduction as a U.S. response to North Korea’s lack of nuclear tests and long-range ballistic missile tests since Trump’s second administration began.

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Honestly, extremely disrespectful to the alliance.