▲ North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump
South Korean and U.S. officials believe there is little chance of a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un within the year, Reuters reported.
According to the report on the 23rd local time, while President Trump has been eager to resume dialogue with North Korea, Pyongyang has shown little interest in diplomacy aimed at curbing its nuclear program.
Five anonymous sources, including four who were briefed by high-ranking U.S. and South Korean officials, stated that the United States has received no response from North Korea regarding holding a summit between President Trump and Chairman Kim.
The sources noted that very little time remains before events in Asia, such as the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in China next month, where the possibility of a meeting between President Trump and Chairman Kim has been mentioned.
Previously, President Trump himself raised the possibility of a meeting last August, claiming that he was planning a meeting with Chairman Kim within the year and that Kim had responded to his offer.
In a parliamentary report at the end of last month, South Korea's National Intelligence Service projected a 50% chance that President Trump and Chairman Kim could meet on the sidelines of the APEC summit held in Shenzhen, China, from November 18 to 19.
However, President Trump recently told reporters that he assesses the likelihood of meeting Chairman Kim at next month's APEC summit or the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in the Philippines as low.
President Trump also made remarks that seemed to step back from plans for a meeting within the year, saying, "I get along very well with him, but I'm not sure who is asking for a meeting."
A White House official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said, "During his first term, President Trump met historically three times with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to stabilize the Korean Peninsula," adding that "U.S. policy toward North Korea has not changed."
The official added, "President Trump remains open to talking with Kim Jong-un without any preconditions," and "at this time, there is no meeting to announce, and the leaders of the two countries will meet at the appropriate time."
Previously, a senior U.S. official told reporters last month that President Trump is ready to talk with Chairman Kim, stating, "The ball is entirely in North Korea's court."
A South Korean government official familiar with the matter stated that North Korea has shown no signs whatsoever to suggest it is preparing for a meeting with President Trump.
Among security experts as well, views are emerging that the possibility of a North Korea-U.S. summit coming to fruition within this year is slim.
Ankit Panda, a senior fellow in the nuclear policy program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a U.S. think tank, analyzed that the probability of a North Korea-U.S. summit happening at the APEC summit is less than 10%.
Panda argued, "If President Trump wants to meet Chairman Kim, North Korea would demand a high-cost public signal," adding that the U.S. decision to scale back recent South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises likely would not have been enough.
U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Michelle Park Steel stated during a special luncheon hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM) in Itaewon, Seoul, on the 21st, "I don't know when they (President Trump and Chairman Kim) will meet."
At the same time, she did not rule out the possibility that the schedule could be announced abruptly, saying, "If a meeting takes place, it will happen the very next day or with just a few days' notice."
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