Dec. 16 (Asia Today) -- South Korea and the United States could use closer coordination in 2026 to lay the groundwork for renewed U.S.-North Korea summit diplomacy, including a possible meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, according to a new outlook published by the Korea National Diplomatic Academy.
Min Jeong-hoon, a professor at the academy's Institute for Foreign Affairs and National Security, said in the 2026 International Situation Outlook released Tuesday that Seoul and Washington are expected to focus next year on creating more concrete conditions to bring Kim back to dialogue.
Min said the two allies could step up communication and cooperation around April, when Trump is scheduled to visit China, to help facilitate a potential U.S.-North Korea summit.
He described this year's U.S.-North Korea relations as marked by Trump's active overtures and Kim's cautious responses. Min also said that although a summit discussion promoted around the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings in Gyeongju in late October did not materialize, Trump still appears to want a meeting with Kim.
Min said South Korea and the United States may pursue a "realistic" denuclearization process to draw North Korea to negotiations. He also pointed to Trump's public comments about the possibility of easing sanctions, and said Washington and Pyongyang could work toward a plan acceptable to both sides, citing a three-step denuclearization roadmap attributed to the Lee Jae-myung administration.
