Trump says would 'like' to meet North Korea's Kim
President Trump said he would "like" to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during his Asia trip, acknowledging Pyongyang as "sort of a nuclear power." The comments come as a UN report reveals North Korea evaded sanctions through $1.65 billion in cryptocurrency theft.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that he would “like” to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during his trip to Asia, in what could mark the pair’s first encounter since 2019.
Speaking aboard Air Force One before departing Washington for his multi-country tour, Trump said he hoped for a “very good meeting” with Chinese President Xi Jinping to finalize a trade deal and avoid the next round of 100 percent tariffs set to take effect on November 1. He also confirmed that he would travel to Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea — his first official visit to the region since returning to the White House in January.
When asked by reporters if he would be open to meeting Kim, Trump replied, “I would. If you want to put out the word, I’m open to it. I had a great relationship with him.”
The comments have reignited speculation that Trump could hold a surprise summit with the North Korean leader during his stay in South Korea. Seoul’s Minister of Reunification told local media there was a “considerable chance” of such a meeting taking place on the sidelines of a regional summit.
In another statement aboard the presidential aircraft, Trump referred to North Korea as “sort of a nuclear power,” acknowledging that Pyongyang already possesses “a lot of nuclear weapons.” Asked whether he would recognize North Korea’s nuclear status as a precondition for talks, Trump said, “When you say they have to be recognized as a nuclear power — well, they got a lot of nuclear weapons, I’ll say that.”
The remarks signal a possible shift in tone as the White House seeks to reopen dialogue with Pyongyang after years of diplomatic freeze. The last Trump-Kim meeting took place in Hanoi, Vietnam, where talks collapsed over disagreements on sanctions relief and denuclearization steps.
Trump’s comments come amid a new international sanctions report revealing that North Korea has been evading UN restrictions through extensive use of cryptocurrency transactions and overseas IT networks to fund its weapons programs.
According to the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT), Pyongyang’s cyber units stole at least $1.65 billion between January and September 2025 — including $1.4 billion from the crypto exchange Bybit in February. The funds, the report said, were funneled into North Korea’s ballistic missile and WMD development.
The MSMT found that North Korean operatives used stablecoins to conduct procurement-related transactions, including the sale of copper and military equipment. It also revealed that Pyongyang had dispatched thousands of IT workers abroad, mainly to China, Russia, Laos, and several African nations, in violation of UN bans on foreign labor.
The group warned that 40,000 North Korean laborers were slated to be sent to Russia, part of a growing alliance between Moscow and Pyongyang that has included arms transfers and troop deployments in the war against Ukraine.
The MSMT, which operates independently but includes member states such as the United States, the UK, Japan, Germany, and South Korea, said North Korea’s cyber operations have become a crucial source of foreign currency as international sanctions tighten.
A previous report by 38 North, an analytical program run by the Stimson Center, found that North Korean IT professionals had secretly worked on animation projects tied to major Western companies like Amazon and HBO Max, using false identities to bypass scrutiny.
Seoul’s National Intelligence Service also disclosed last year that North Korean agents had used LinkedIn to approach South Korean defense employees, seeking access to sensitive technologies.
As Trump embarks on his Asian tour, the potential for renewed diplomacy with North Korea stands against the backdrop of mounting international concern over Pyongyang’s cyber-financing networks and its deepening military ties with Russia.
While Washington officially continues to demand the “complete denuclearization” of the Korean Peninsula, Trump’s remarks — particularly his willingness to acknowledge North Korea as “sort of a nuclear power” — suggest a pragmatic, if controversial, approach aimed at breaking years of stalemate.
Whether this softer tone will pave the way for genuine engagement or merely embolden Pyongyang’s defiance remains uncertain. But for now, as Trump’s plane heads toward Seoul, the world watches for signs of another historic handshake — and whether dialogue can resume amid one of the most complex security crises in Asia.
