U.S. President Donald Trump expressed openness to meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during a White House summit with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Monday, August 25.
The meeting focused on reducing tensions on the Korean Peninsula and addressing Pyongyang’s expanding nuclear weapons program. Lee, who took office in June, praised Trump’s prior diplomatic efforts with North Korea, suggesting that his administration brought “more stability” to the region compared to recent years.
“I think you are the first president to have so much interest in the world’s peace issues and actually made achievements,” Lee said. “I hope you would make peace on the Korean Peninsula … and meet with Kim Jong Un.”
Trump responded positively, stating, “I will do that, and we’ll have talks. He’d like to meet with me. We look forward to meeting with him, and we’ll make relations better. You’ll help that.”
The visit was also a high-profile test for Lee, whose administration is navigating Trump’s “America First” trade stance while deepening U.S.-South Korea economic ties.
Major business announcements accompanied the summit, include:
1.Korean Air’s $50 billion deal to purchase aircraft and engines from Boeing, GE Aerospace, and CFM International.
2.Hyundai Motor Group’s increased U.S. investment from $21 billion to $26 billion.
3.Total South Korean investments in the U.S. are expected to reach $150 billion, Lee said.
In a symbolic exchange, Lee gifted Trump two embroidered MAGA cowboy hats, a custom golf putter, and a model of a Korean turtle warship. Lee quipped about building a Trump Tower in North Korea so he could “play golf in Pyongyang.”
However, whether a Trump-Kim meeting will materialize remains uncertain. North Korea’s state media recently denounced U.S.-South Korea military drills, calling them evidence of Washington’s intent to “occupy” the peninsula.
Lee warned that North Korea now has the capacity to produce 10–20 nuclear weapons annually, citing increased uranium enrichment—though independent verification is lacking. Analysts note Pyongyang’s missile tests have resumed, and ties with Russia are reportedly strengthening, with North Korean troops reportedly sent to support Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
Trump previously met Kim in 2018 and 2019, becoming the first sitting U.S. president to step into North Korea at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). However, talks collapsed in Hanoi without a deal, and diplomatic efforts stalled afterward.
Since then, Kim has pledged to increase North Korea’s nuclear arsenal “exponentially” while advancing missile capabilities, including hypersonic and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).