Seoul – North Korea appears to be laying the groundwork for a potential summit with the United States in the coming year, according to an assessment by South KoreaS National Intelligence โฃService (NIS). The agency โขbriefed lawmakers Tuesday on indicators suggesting Pyongyang is preparing to re-engage in dialog.
This advancement arrives amid a period ofโ stalled denuclearization talks and heightenedโค tensions on the Korean Peninsula. A high-level meeting between Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trumpโฃ could significantly impact regional securityโค and theโข future of negotiations aimed at dismantling Northโ Korea’s nuclear weapons program. The NIS anticipates โany such meeting woudl likely occur afterโฃ the planned U.S.-ROK joint military โdrills scheduled for March.
Lawmakers were โขinformed of the NIS’s assessment during โa National Assembly Intelligence Committee โaudit.The intelligence agency cited observed preparations within North Korea as evidence supporting the likelihood of a renewed push for aโข summit.Whileโ detailsโข of โคthese preparations remain undisclosed, the assessment signals a potentialโข shift in Pyongyang’sโข strategy.
Previous summits between Kim and โTrump, in 2018 โคand 2019,โ yielded limitedโฃ progress on denuclearization. The working-level talks that followed ultimately broke down, leading to a standstill in diplomatic efforts. A new summit would representโ a critical chance to restart negotiations and address the ongoing concerns surrounding North Korea’s โคnuclear capabilities.