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South Korea’s intelligence agency claimed Tuesday there is a high possibility of a summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump, possibly taking place after March next year.
“The National Intelligence Service (NIS) sees there is a high chance of a U.S.-North Korea summit,” lawmaker Park Sun-won told reporters after a parliamentary audit of the NIS.
He said Pyongyang is closely analyzing Trump administration officials handling North Korean affairs and could pursue a meeting following major early-year events such as South Korea-US joint military drills, a North Korean military parade, and a party congress.
Kim has previously said he is open to talks if Washington drops demands for denuclearization.
During his visit to South Korea last week ahead of the APEC summit, Trump said, “We’ll come back, and at some point in the not-too-distant future, meet with North Korea.”
A White House official said Trump remains open to talking with Kim “without preconditions,” though no meeting has yet been planned.
Trump and Kim held summits in 2018 and 2019 before negotiations collapsed over North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.
The NIS also reported that North Korea is ready to conduct its seventh nuclear test and could carry it out promptly if Kim orders it, lawmakers said after a closed-door briefing.
Officials said Pyongyang has been preparing to use the No. 3 tunnel at the Punggye-ri site and is expanding facilities to produce nuclear warheads. North Korea last conducted a nuclear test in 2017.
The agency also said North Korea is preparing to launch another military spy satellite. In 2023, Pyongyang launched its first, the Malligyong-1, and vowed to deploy three more in 2024. However, a launch attempt in May failed when the rocket exploded shortly after takeoff.
Another South Korean lawmaker, Lee Seong-kweun, said the NIS estimated about 10,000 North Korean troops are currently near the Russia-Ukraine border, with around 5,000 sent since September to assist in “infrastructure reconstruction.”
At least 600 North Korean soldiers have died and thousands have been injured in the conflict, according to Seoul’s estimates.
Analysts believe North Korea is receiving financial support, military technology, and energy supplies from Russia in return for its involvement.
Park said Kim Jong Un does not appear to have major health problems despite speculation about high blood pressure.
He added that Kim’s teenage daughter, Kim Ju Ae, continues to strengthen her position as a potential successor but has stayed out of the spotlight in recent months.
Meanwhile, South Korea aims to launch its first nuclear-powered submarine by the late 2030s, a senior defense official said, following US approval of Seoul’s plan.
Trump said the vessel would be built “in the Philadelphia Shipyards,” run by South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean. Defense official Won Chong-dae said it is “feasible to construct a nuclear-powered submarine with our own technology,” targeting a launch in the mid-to-late 2030s.
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