SINGAPORE – A successful summit between President Trump and Kim Jong Un could reportedly lead the U.S. to establish official diplomatic ties with North Korea that would include the opening of an American embassy in Pyongyang.
Administration officials discussed the possibility of normalized relations between the two countries during meetings with their North Korean counterparts in Singapore, New York, and the demilitarized zone ahead of the June 12 summit between Trump and Kim, Axios reported Sunday.
Sources told the publication that Trump has informed aides he is willing to leave official relations with Pyongyang on the table as long as Kim takes tangible steps toward denuclearization during and after their face-to-face meeting.
“It’s definitely been discussed. His view is: ‘We can discuss that. It’s on the table. Let’s see,'” a source described as being familiar with Trump’s thinking told Axios, adding that “almost nothing” is off the table as the president prepares for his historic summit with Kim.
[Related: Trump says he doesn’t need to ‘prepare too much’ for North Korea summit]
A senior National Security Council official declined to confirm whether official diplomatic ties were being discussed, and told the Washington Examiner internal deliberations would not be discussed ahead of Tuesday’s summit.
Scott Snyder, a Korea expert at the Council on Foreign Relations, said “tension reduction” between the U.S. and North Korea is likely to be a main topic of discussion when Trump and Kim meet for the first time.
“Establishing normal diplomatic relations, where you have the possibility of a declaration or exchange of liaison offices, is certain to be brought up,” Snyder said, adding that “sanctions relief and establishing conditions of peace on the [Korean] peninsula] could also be part of the balance sheet.”
North Korea currently has formal diplomatic relations with 164 countries, some of which the Trump administration previously urged to reconsider their relationship with the authoritarian regime.
The U.S. never established ties with the northern half of the Korean peninsula after the two Koreas split in 1948.
