South Korea PM meets Trump on North Korea, eyes talks with Kim Jong Un

South Korea’s Prime Minister Kim Min-seok met with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on the afternoon of the 13th local time, in a roughly 20-minute session that touched on Korea-U.S. ties and North Korea. Trump indicated an interest in meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at some point.

Kim told reporters at a Washington press briefing that, during the White House talks, Trump issued direct instructions to his aides about North Korea policy, emphasizing the need to identify key issues and consider actions related to North Korea relations.

Kim said much of the conversation centered on North Korea. He recounted telling Trump that President Yoon Suk Yeol has often said the United States is the only Western leader capable of solving the Korean peninsula issue, and that Trump showed interest and asked to bring a photo of Kim Jong Un from Panmunjom to discuss further.

The prime minister quoted Trump as asking whether Kim Jong Un is willing to engage in dialogue with the United States and with him personally, and said he offered several points in response. He described Trump as noting that he has maintained a good relationship with Kim Jong Un and asking about whether the two leaders might talk again.

Kim did not disclose the specifics of his advice to Trump, but said he suggested that any future U.S.-North Korea meeting should be pursued through renewed contact and dialogue. He said there appeared to be a slightly more positive tone in North Korea’s statements, hinting that normalization could be possible, though he did not characterize the exact message.

Before leaving Washington, Kim said he wrote down his notes for Trump and offered to hand them over, a proposal Trump accepted. Kim also met with Paula White, head of the White House Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, in the Oval Office for a separate discussion without an interpreter, with South Korea’s ambassador to the U.S., Kang Kyung-wwa, in attendance.

Earlier in the day, Kim met with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Grier and other officials to discuss the Section 301 tariff investigation. Kim said Grier stressed that the tariffs are applied broadly and Korea is not being singled out.

Observers note that Trump’s schedule includes a Beijing trip later this month to meet Xi Jinping, with speculation about potential North Korea-related engagements arising in that context. In his first term, Trump met Kim Jong Un on three occasions; in his second term, he has referenced North Korea with cautious engagement.

Why this matters beyond Korea for U.S. readers: Washington and Seoul coordinate closely on North Korea policy, sanctions enforcement, and regional security. Any movement toward direct talks with North Korea could influence sanctions continuity, crisis management, and allied planning. The discussion of Section 301 tariffs underscores how U.S. trade policy intersects with allied economic interests, given South Korea’s role as a major producer of semiconductors and other high-tech goods. Finally, the dynamic connects U.S.-China diplomacy, as Trump’s Beijing visit looms, with potential ripple effects on regional stability and global markets.