Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
President Donald Trump confirmed Wednesday that he plans to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un before the end of the year, as his administration scales back joint military exercises with longtime U.S. ally South Korea.
Asked by a reporter whether he expected to meet with Kim later this year, Trump responded, "Yeah, I will be."
The Wall Street Journal reported Trump is pushing for another meeting, possibly around the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in China in November.
Trump met with Kim several times during his first term in an effort to curb North Korea's nuclear ambitions. Experts say North Korea has since expanded its nuclear arsenal and increased the range of its missiles while strengthening ties with China and Russia.
"It's a much more difficult place because North Korea has something it didn't have eight years ago, which is strategic partnership with China and Russia," said Dr. Jong Eun Lee, a professor at North Greenville University.
Trump also ordered Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to substantially reduce joint U.S.-South Korea military exercises, calling the drills "costly" and "inappropriate and hostile" toward North Korea.
The president also criticized South Korea for what he described as a lack of support during the U.S. conflict with Iran.
"We have 39,000 soldiers over there guarding you from Kim Jong Un, your next-door neighbor," Trump said. "And you're not going to help us on a very easy military operation in Iran. That's strange."
The decision drew criticism from some former defense officials.
"He likes strongmen," said Sabrina Singh, a former Pentagon deputy press secretary. "And it's just a very interesting tactic that we've seen this administration time and again take when it comes to cozying up with our adversaries."
In a statement, the South Korean Embassy in the United States said it hoped the relationship between Trump and Kim would lead to meaningful dialogue and help advance stability on the Korean Peninsula.
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President Donald Trump confirmed Wednesday that he plans to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un before the end of the year, as his administration scales back joint military exercises with longtime U.S. ally South Korea.
Asked by a reporter whether he expected to meet with Kim later this year, Trump responded, "Yeah, I will be."
The Wall Street Journal reported Trump is pushing for another meeting, possibly around the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in China in November.
Trump met with Kim several times during his first term in an effort to curb North Korea's nuclear ambitions. Experts say North Korea has since expanded its nuclear arsenal and increased the range of its missiles while strengthening ties with China and Russia.
"It's a much more difficult place because North Korea has something it didn't have eight years ago, which is strategic partnership with China and Russia," said Dr. Jong Eun Lee, a professor at North Greenville University.
Trump also ordered Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to substantially reduce joint U.S.-South Korea military exercises, calling the drills "costly" and "inappropriate and hostile" toward North Korea.
The president also criticized South Korea for what he described as a lack of support during the U.S. conflict with Iran.
"We have 39,000 soldiers over there guarding you from Kim Jong Un, your next-door neighbor," Trump said. "And you're not going to help us on a very easy military operation in Iran. That's strange."
The decision drew criticism from some former defense officials.
"He likes strongmen," said Sabrina Singh, a former Pentagon deputy press secretary. "And it's just a very interesting tactic that we've seen this administration time and again take when it comes to cozying up with our adversaries."
In a statement, the South Korean Embassy in the United States said it hoped the relationship between Trump and Kim would lead to meaningful dialogue and help advance stability on the Korean Peninsula.
READ MORE: 13wham.com/news/nation-world/trump-says-he-plans-to-meet-with-kim-jong-un-at-some-point-in-2026-later-this-year-north-korea-north-korean-leader-57-very-powerful-nuclear-weapons-war-conflict-iran-president-donald-trump
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For more information, visit 13wham.com
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Email us: news@13wham.com
Call the Newsroom: (585) 334-8700
WHAM is a NY based station and a ABC Television affiliate owned and operated by Deerfield Media, Inc and receives certain services from an affiliation of Sinclair Broadcast Group. Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. is one of the largest and most diversified television broadcasting companies in the country today.
#13WHAM #News #Rochester #NewYork
