According to Reuters news agency, there has been some speculation about a possible meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit scheduled to be held in Shenzhen, China, on November 18–19, 2026. The last meeting between President Trump and Chairman Kim took place in Hanoi, Vietnam, on February 27, 2019. During President Trump’s second term, North Korea has occupied a relatively low position on Washington’s policy agenda because of the war in Ukraine, the conflict in Gaza, and tensions involving Iran. Nevertheless, the United States continues to seek a breakthrough in its relations with Pyongyang to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula.

Following Japan’s defeat in the Second World War in 1945, the Korean Peninsula was divided along the 38th parallel, and North and South Korea subsequently established different political systems. After the three-year Korean War (1950–1953), the two Koreas embarked on a competition between their respective systems. South Korea concentrated on economic development, while North Korea placed greater emphasis on military buildup and nuclear development.

In the mid-1990s, North Korea, South Korea, and the United States pursued diplomatic efforts to manage tensions and address the North Korean nuclear issue. The United States and North Korea concluded the Agreed Framework in Geneva in 1994, accompanied by substantial measures to ease sanctions. However, disputes over the implementation of the Agreed Framework eventually led to its breakdown, and North Korea announced its withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in 2003. Since then, Pyongyang has continued to advance its nuclear weapons capabilities while rejecting international demands for denuclearization. By emphasizing its status as a nuclear-armed state and continuing missile provocations, North Korea has ensured that the security threat on the Korean Peninsula remains unresolved.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), North Korea is estimated to possess approximately 60 nuclear warheads. Its nuclear ambitions have also extended to the development of intercontinental ballistic missiles........

© The Friday Times