When Will Donald Trump Meet Kim Jong Un? US President Says He Will Meet North Korea Leader This Year (Video)
US President Donald Trump said he expects to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un later this year, potentially marking their first encounter since Trump began his second term. Trump confirmed the plan when asked by reporters, while a Wall Street Journal report said talks could take place around the November APEC summit in China. Neither side has officially confirmed a meeting.
US President Donald Trump said Wednesday, August 19, that he expects to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un later this year, potentially setting up their first encounter since Trump returned to the White House. “Yeah, I will be,” Trump told reporters when asked whether he planned to meet Kim in 2026.
Trump’s comments came after a Wall Street Journal report said the US president was hoping to arrange a meeting with Kim, possibly around the November APEC summit in Shenzhen, China. The White House has not confirmed a meeting, and there has been no confirmation from Pyongyang. Donald Trump Orders ‘Substantial’ Cutback of US-South Korea Military Drills Over Iran Snub, Kim Jong Un Ties.
Donald Trump Says He Will Meet Kim Jong Un This Year
Donald Trump Says He Plans To Meet Kim
Trump made the comments while speaking to reporters during a tour of a new helipad being built at the White House. Asked whether he expected to meet Kim later this year, Trump replied, “Yeah, I will be.”
“I get along with him great. He has 57 very powerful nuclear weapons. He’s gonna be fine,” Trump added. The remarks indicate that Trump remains open to direct engagement with Kim as his administration considers its approach to North Korea's expanding nuclear capabilities.
APEC Summit Could Provide Meeting Opportunity
According to the Wall Street Journal report, Trump plans to attend the APEC summit in Shenzhen in November and has directed aides to make contact with the North Korean regime. The report said Trump hopes to restart talks aimed at persuading Kim to abandon North Korea's nuclear weapons programme.
However, neither the White House nor Pyongyang has officially confirmed that a Trump-Kim meeting has been scheduled.
Trump And Kim Met Three Times In First Term
Trump and Kim met three times during Trump's first term as president as they pursued talks over North Korea's nuclear programme.
Their first summit took place in Singapore in 2018, followed by a meeting in Hanoi in 2019. The two leaders also held a brief meeting at the Korean Demilitarized Zone later that year. The talks ultimately failed to produce a lasting agreement on denuclearisation.
North Korea’s Nuclear Arsenal Has Expanded
Since those meetings, North Korea has continued developing its nuclear weapons and missile programmes.
Analysts believe the country now possesses dozens of nuclear warheads, adding urgency to any potential effort to revive diplomatic engagement.
Trump has previously highlighted his relationship with Kim as a basis for renewed talks, while North Korea has continued to strengthen its military capabilities.
A meeting would mark the first direct encounter between Trump and Kim since Trump began his second presidential term. It could also provide an opportunity for Washington and Pyongyang to reopen diplomatic discussions that stalled during Trump's first term. For now, however, the timing and agenda of any potential meeting remain uncertain, with no formal confirmation from either government.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 19, 2026 09:38 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).