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Unification minister urges North-U.S. leaders' meeting on occasion of APEC gathering

Published: 24 Oct. 2025, 16:25

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young. [YONHAP]

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young on Friday called on the leaders of North Korea and the United States not to miss a golden opportunity for dialogue on the occasion of next week's APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in South Korea.

U.S. President Donald Trump will visit the southeastern city of Gyeongju on Wednesday and Thursday for the APEC gathering. His trip has spawned speculation that Trump may seek a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, though the possibility of such a meeting is dimming.

“The
leaders of North Korea and the United States should not miss this opportunity. They should make a decision,” Chung told reporters, noting that if realized, the possible Kim-Trump meeting could pave the way for peace on the Korean Peninsula.

The two held in-person talks three times during Trump's first term, including a meeting at the truce village of Panmunjom in June 2019.

Among possible signs of preparations for a potential meeting between the North and the United States, Chung cited the detection of North Koreans cleaning near the North's facility in Panmunjom.

Noting the sight of landscaping and cleanup work by the North at the truce village, Chung said, “It marked the first time that the North has been detected doing such cleaning work this year.”

Yonhap