Washington: U.S. President Donald Trump remains open to dialogue with North Korea "without any preconditions," the White House stated Thursday, following North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's indication of Pyongyang's readiness to engage with the United States if it ceases its "hostile" policy towards the regime.
According to Yonhap News Agency, during a recent key party congress, Kim Jong-un conveyed that Pyongyang sees "no reason not to get along with the U.S." should Washington retract its hostile stance. He emphasized that the future of U.S.-North Korea relations is contingent upon the U.S. attitude, as reported by North Korea's state media.
A White House official, responding to a query from Yonhap News Agency, highlighted President Trump's past efforts in engaging with Kim Jong-un. "President Trump in his first term held three historic summits with North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un that stabilized the Korean Peninsula," the official stated. They further reiterated that the U.S. policy towards North Korea remains unchanged, with Trump open to discussions with Kim without any preconditions.
In light of Kim's openness to resuming diplomacy, there is speculation about potential talks between Trump and Kim, particularly as Trump plans to visit China from late next month to early April. Trump's previous meetings with Kim included a landmark summit in Singapore in June 2018, a second meeting in Hanoi in February 2019, and a third encounter at the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom in June 2019.