South Korea's PM says Trump open to North Korea talks during U.S. visit

South Korea’s Prime Minister Kim Min-seok said he spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump for about 20 minutes on North Korea during his current visit to the United States. He disclosed the discussion in Washington, D.C., at a meeting with the Seoul-based press corps held at the Korean Cultural Center, noting that much of the talk centered on North Korea.

During the same trip, Kim described an unscheduled exchange at the White House in the Oval Office with Trump, while Kim was meeting Paula White, director of the Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. The conversation was held without an interpreter, and Kim recalled telling Trump that President Lee Jae-myung often speaks highly of him and believes he is the only leader capable of helping resolve the Korea issue.

Kim said Trump showed interest in North Korea and asked whether Kim Jong-un would be willing to engage in dialogue with him. He characterized Trump as the only Western leader who has met Kim Jong-un and as a figure who could potentially help resolve the peninsula’s issues, noting Trump’s positive response.

The prime minister did not reveal the specifics of any proposals discussed. He said he suggested that maintaining contact and dialogue could keep the door open for a possible summit, citing a shift in tone from “no reason to meet” to a more nuanced message suggesting there may be no reason for relations to remain bad. He indicated there were ideas for concrete steps, though he did not disclose them and said Trump showed keen interest.

Kim noted that Trump asked his aides to gather more information on what North Korea measures might be advisable and said it would be inappropriate to disclose details before the leaders themselves speak. He told Trump that he could send an English memo outlining his assessment before leaving the United States, and Trump encouraged him to do so.

Observers are watching whether Trump’s remarks in Washington could feed into efforts to initiate North Korea-U.S. talks, particularly in the context of Trump’s planned late-month trip to China.

In a separate White House meeting, Kim also spoke with Vice President JD Vance and Jamison Greer, the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) chief. They discussed the USTR’s Section 301 tariff process, which has opened preliminary investigations affecting 16 economies, including South Korea. Kim said Greer stressed that the program targets a wide group of countries and that Korea is not singled out, while noting that, depending on the case, Korea could be advantaged or disadvantaged relative to others.

Kim described Korea’s position as seeking to minimize any disadvantage in the 301 process and to maintain close coordination with the United States. Greer reportedly indicated that some countries might benefit more than others, and Kim said the parties would continue to communicate to resolve the issue.