South Korea’s unification minister urged U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to seize what he called a “rare and real” chance to restart peace talks on the Korean Peninsula, as Trump prepares to visit the country next week.
Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said Friday that the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea could offer a “natural opportunity” for both leaders to reconnect after years of silence since their historic but stalled summits in 2018 and 2019.
“The leaders of North Korea and the United States should not miss this opportunity. They need to make a decision,” Chung told reporters in Seoul. “Even a one percent chance at peace should not be wasted.”
Trump is scheduled to visit the southeastern city of Gyeongju on Oct. 29-30 for the APEC Forum, where Chinese President Xi Jinping will also be present. Speculation is mounting that a fourth Trump-Kim encounter could take place on the sidelines, though neither Washington nor Pyongyang has confirmed such plans.
The South Korean Ministry of Unification earlier this week suspended tours to the Joint Security Area (JSA) in Panmunjom – the border village inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) – from late October to early November, fueling rumors that the zone could once again host a symbolic handshake.
