What are the Imperatives of Peace in the Korean Peninsula? This question becomes very pertinent in the light of possible return to direct talks between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong un. The dialogue, if takes place, would be an important event after nine years deadlock following the failed 2019 Hanoi summit. President Donald Trump repeatedly signalled interest in reconnecting with Kim since beginning his second term. His public remarks, including descriptions of Kim as a “smart guy” and suggestions that they could meet again, have reinforced expectations that Washington remains open to another summit. Although, President Trump has recently hinted at ‘unconditional dialogue’ in which denuclearization is not set as a precondition but there is an uncertainty whether Trump Kim summit at APEC in Shenzhen (Nov. 18, 19) will eventually take place or not.
The prospect of talks without an advance commitment to denuclearization could mark a change in Washington’s approach signaling an approach that differs somewhat from the past. Such an initiative would allow the two sides to resume talks to set an agenda based on step by step approach consequently settling their fundamental differences over nuclear issue.
However, it is unclear whether Pyongyang will benefit from this opportunity or not.
North Korea’s denuclearization was omitted from the official statement of the White House has led to interpretations that this was a strategic move to lay the groundwork for dialogue with North Korea. If these talks take place, it is highly likely that these talks will serve as a starting point for a ‘managed agreement’ one that halts North Korea’s nuclear and missile development, manages the risk of accidental conflict, and paves the way for phased negotiations rather than a ‘big deal’ aimed at resolving North Korea’s nuclear issue in one fell swoop, as in the past. Special Representative for North Korea at the State Department, emphasized at a forum held in South Korea in late September that “while maintaining North Korea’s denuclearization as a long term goal, it is realistic to slow or freeze the further expansion of its nuclear capabilities in the short term.” If the high level communication channels between North Korea and the United States which have been severed since the 2019 Hanoi Summit are restored, this could not only ease military tensions on the Korean Peninsula but also lay the groundwork for multilateral security cooperation involving China and Russia in the implementation and verification phases.
The US is pushing to resume talks with Chairman Kim Jong un due to various strategic considerations. Trump’s second term foreign policy failing to yield tangible results in the Russia Ukraine war and conflicts in the Middle East, there is an intention to revisit the North Korea US talks thereby solidifying his image as a leader who manages security crises through negotiation. Some analysts suggest that this is a US strategic move to remind South Korea and other allies of the transactional approach to alliance management and to secure an advantageous position in negotiations regarding defense cost sharing.
As of October 2026, the security environment in Northeast Asia remains unstable due to a combination of factors, including the ongoing nuclear and missile threats from North Korea, deepening military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, and intensifying strategic competition between the United States and China. In particular, as the Russia Ukraine war drags on, the deepening military cooperation between North Korea and Russia has become a key factor transforming the security environment on the Korean Peninsula into an even more complex and unpredictable situation.
North Korea summit is said to be around the time of the APEC Summit, which will be held in Shenzhen, China, in APEC in Shenzhen (Nov. 18, 19) November 2026. North Korea summit takes place in conjunction with the multilateral diplomatic schedule which includes a planned summit between President Trump and President Xi Jinping would be the most natural course of events. Some observers think that North Korea might want the event to be in Pyongyang, partly because it would be a great propaganda coup for the regime, but other observers say that the United States would be better off having it in a third country or a multilateral diplomatic forum. Now, in the current situation, if the U.S. offers talks just for the sake of talking, North Korea may not have much to lose in agreeing to the talks; hence the need to figure out what tangible gains North Korea can reap from the U.S. through a summit. While it remains unclear at this point whether the United States and North Korea will be able to find common ground for holding a summit, the APEC Summit to be held in Shenzhen, China, in November offers an opportunity to facilitate a meeting between the two nations.
