By: The Trek News Desk
South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok held talks with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington, where the two leaders discussed the possibility of reviving dialogue with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The development was reported on Saturday (March 14, 2026) by South Korea’s news agency.
According to the report, Prime Minister Kim told Trump that he remains the only Western leader who has previously held direct meetings with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un. Kim Min-seok reportedly said that Trump could play a crucial role in addressing the complex political and security challenges on the Korean Peninsula.
Speaking to reporters, Kim Min-seok said that Trump was curious about whether the North Korean leader might be willing to reopen communication with the United States or personally with him. The U.S. president also asked for Kim’s assessment of the situation.
Although the South Korean Prime Minister did not disclose the exact suggestions he offered during the discussion, he noted that recent statements from Pyongyang suggest that North Korea may be open to renewed engagement with Washington. He added that Trump appeared highly interested in the subject.
Trump and Kim Jong Un previously met three times in 2018 and 2019 in landmark diplomatic efforts aimed at improving relations between the two countries and negotiating a pathway for North Korea to dismantle its nuclear weapons programme. However, the dialogue stalled after Trump left office.
A South Korean official confirmed that the meeting between Kim Min-seok and Trump took place on Friday (March 13), but no additional details were shared. The Prime Minister’s office in Seoul also did not immediately comment on the discussions.
The White House likewise did not respond to requests for comment on the meeting, which had not been publicly announced beforehand. The talks came a day after Kim Min-seok met U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance in Washington on Thursday (March 12).
According to the South Korean Prime Minister’s office, Kim Min-seok informed Vice President Vance that the South Korean Parliament had approved legislation earlier this week allowing the government to implement a $350 billion investment commitment. The move, he said, reflects Seoul’s strong determination to follow through on agreements reached between the two countries’ leaders.
Reports said Vance welcomed the passage of the bill, noting that it provides the necessary legal framework to move forward with the investment deal. He also emphasised the need for continued close communication between both governments on the matter.
Earlier, in late January, President Trump had warned that tariffs on South Korean goods could be raised to 25 per cent, stating that Seoul’s legislature had yet to implement the trade framework that capped U.S. tariffs at 15 per cent.
South Korea and the United States remain long-standing treaty allies with strong defence cooperation. Currently, more than 28,000 American troops are stationed in South Korea.
Meanwhile, media reports suggest that some U.S. missile defence batteries have been withdrawn from Osan Air Base in South Korea. They are believed to be redeployed to American military facilities in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates amid rising tensions in West Asia.
Source: News Agencies
