Trump Hints at Fresh Meeting With Kim Jong Un During Talks With South Korea’s Lee

US President Donald Trump on Monday said he hoped to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un again, possibly this year, as he hosted South Korea’s new president, Lee Jae Myung, at the White House.

The meeting began awkwardly after Trump, hours before Lee’s arrival, denounced on social media what he called a “Purge or Revolution” in South Korea over church-related raids. Once face-to-face in the Oval Office, Trump brushed aside his remarks, calling them a “misunderstanding.”

Despite early tensions, Trump said he and Lee were aligned on pursuing diplomacy with North Korea. Praising his past personal ties with Kim, Trump said, “Someday I’ll see him. I look forward to seeing him. He was very good with me.” Trump, who met Kim three times during his first term, added that he hoped talks could take place this year.

Lee, a progressive former labor lawyer who took office in June after the impeachment of conservative Yoon Suk Yeol, flattered Trump, calling him a “maker of peace” and even joking about building a Trump Tower in North Korea. He told Trump, “Kim will be waiting for you.”

Trump also pressed for higher financial contributions from Seoul to support the 28,500 US troops stationed in South Korea and floated the idea of Washington taking ownership of base land — a proposal likely to spark controversy in South Korea. He further waded into sensitive historical issues, referencing the plight of “comfort women” under Japanese rule, even as Lee sought to ease tensions by visiting Tokyo before his Washington trip.

Trump, who has claimed credit for reducing global conflicts since returning to the White House in January, has remained largely silent on North Korea until now. His administration contends that missile launches have decreased, though Pyongyang has continued advancing its nuclear program while deepening ties with Russia amid the war in Ukraine.