President Donald Trump is preparing for an official visit to South Korea in late October for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation,APEC, summit.
The gathering could set the stage for high-level meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and potentially North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
The summit, scheduled to take place in the city of Gyeongju between late October and early November, is viewed by Washington as a strategic opportunity to advance trade and security discussions in the region. Senior U.S. officials said talks are ongoing to arrange a bilateral meeting between Trump and Xi on the sidelines, though no final plan has been confirmed.
During a recent call, Xi extended an invitation for Trump and the First Lady to visit China, which the U.S. president reciprocated, though dates are yet to be determined.
Officials emphasized that Trump’s visit to South Korea will focus on economic collaboration, trade, defense, and civil nuclear cooperation.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung personally invited Trump to attend the summit, suggesting the platform could also create an opening for a meeting with Kim Jong Un.
While addressing reporters during his meeting with Lee, Trump expressed willingness to sit down with Kim. “I will do that, and we’ll have talks. He’d like to meet with me,” Trump said.
Trump’s upcoming trip comes at a fragile moment in his relations with both Xi and Kim. This week, Xi hosted Kim, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Beijing during a military parade, an event Trump criticized as an effort to “conspire against the United States.”
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On social media, he quipped that “India and Russia” appeared to have aligned with China, but he later described the parade as a “beautiful ceremony” that he watched with admiration.
Despite tensions, Trump insisted his ties with Xi, Putin, Modi, and Kim remain strong. “My relationship with all of them is very good.
We’re going to find out how good it is over the next week or two,” he told reporters during a separate Oval Office meeting with Poland’s president.
The visit also coincides with ongoing trade disputes between Washington and Beijing. Trump imposed a 145% tariff on Chinese imports in April, triggering a 125% retaliatory levy from Beijing. While those tariffs were set to resume last month, Trump issued an executive order pausing the hikes until November as negotiations continue.
Meanwhile, uncertainty lingers over whether Trump and Kim will meet again during the APEC summit. A recent report by The New York Times on a 2019 Navy SEAL mission in North Korea that left civilians dead has cast a shadow over U.S.–North Korea relations. Trump distanced himself from the account, saying, “I don’t know anything about it, no. I could look but I know nothing about it.”
Trump’s trip to South Korea is being closely watched as a test of his ability to balance trade pressures, regional diplomacy, and personal relationships with some of the world’s most powerful leaders.
CNN News.com
