Eyes turn to possible North Korea outreach on sidelines of US-China summit
![US President Donald Trump speaks during a dinner at the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington on Thursday (local time). [AP]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/09/19/news-p.v1.20260918.c01554be7d0e446fb810039d128eee88_P1.jpg)
A senior US official said President Donald Trump is willing to speak with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un by phone as well as meet him in person before the end of the year.
The official made the remarks during a phone briefing Friday (local time) ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit. When asked whether Trump might use the upcoming US-China summit as an opportunity to lay the groundwork for a future meeting with Kim, the official said the president's message "has already been conveyed quite publicly."
"President Trump is ready to talk with Kim Jong-un, whether by phone or in person," the official said, adding, "I think the ball is now very much in North Korea's court."
Trump is scheduled to hold a summit with Xi on Sept. 24. Some observers have suggested Trump may seek Xi's counsel on how to approach his relationship with Kim.
The White House reaffirmed its stance on Sept. 1, saying Trump "remains open to talking with Kim Jong-un without any preconditions" when asked whether preparations were underway for a North Korea-US summit.
Trump sidestepped a direct answer on Aug. 19 when asked whether denuclearization remained the goal of renewed North Korea-US dialogue, saying, "I don't want to talk about that."
newday@heraldcorp.com
