N. Korea weighs Trump overture / KBS 2025.10.28.　#KBSNews

We just saw an indirect response, but North Korea has not yet issued an official reply to President Trump’s “love call.”

What might Pyongyang be thinking right now, and will it respond? Reporter Jang Hyuk-jin has the analysis.

[Report]

North Korean media also gave significant coverage to the meeting between President Putin and Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui.

According to the statement released by North Korea, the Russian side expressed support for North Korea’s “security interests” and “defense of its sovereign rights,” while North Korea expressed “unwavering understanding” for Russia’s actions in the Ukraine war.

However, the “criticism of the United States” included in Russia’s version of the statement was omitted from North Korea’s release—apparently a calibrated move given President Trump’s repeated outreach.

With Trump even mentioning the possibility of easing sanctions, some expect a response from Pyongyang.

[Chung Dong-young/Minister of Unification/Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee Audit: “I think we might see a statement from Deputy Department Director Kim Yo-jong today or tomorrow… President Trump has already done nearly everything he can.”]

However, unlike during Trump’s first term—when North Korea engaged in talks over denuclearization and sanctions relief—Pyongyang now outright rejects denuclearization. Having already weakened sanctions through close ties with Russia and China, it remains uncertain whether “sanctions relief” alone could bring it back to the table.

[Park Won-gon/Professor, Ewha Womans University Department of North Korean Studies: “It’s doubtful that North Korea would agree to a summit based merely on casual remarks about easing sanctions. Their current stance is to meet only after preconditions are met.”]

Still, some analysts say Kim Jong-un could use the “meeting card” with Trump as a tool to elevate his diplomatic leverage.

Since the last Trump–Kim meeting at Panmunjom was arranged in just 32 hours, observers say the possibility of a last-minute meeting cannot yet be ruled out.

This is KBS News, Jang Hyuk-jin.

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