With US President Trump's visit to South Korea imminent, the United Nations Command (UNC), which oversees Panmunjom, announced it would suspend special tours of the Joint Security Area (JSA) starting before the APEC summit. This announcement sparked speculation that the move was likely preparation for a "quick meeting" between Trump and Kim.
A South Korean government source revealed on Monday (October 20th) that "special tours of Panmunjom will be suspended from October 27th to November 1st." The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit is scheduled for October 30th and November 1st. According to South Korean sources, Trump is expected to visit South Korea early on the 29th for a two-day, one-night stay, potentially opening a window for a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
CNN reported on the 18th that the US government had recently discussed the idea of a meeting with Kim Jong-un during Trump's Asia trip. However, several officials expressed skepticism, believing that the Trump team has yet to prepare any topics for substantive negotiations. It is understood that the US side attempted to reach out to North Korea through New York earlier this year, but received no response.
CNN has reserved an exclusive live broadcast location at Imjingak, located just across the river from North Korea.
Meanwhile, CNN is also making preparations for Trump's visit to South Korea. According to a report by Seoul Shinmun on the 20th, CNN plans to set up a live broadcast station at Imjingak, just across the river from the North Korean border, during Trump's visit. Earlier this month, CNN contacted a cafe near Imjingak World Peace Park, raising the possibility of a Trump visit and reserving the terrace for filming from October 29th to November 1st. CNN has reportedly paid a partial deposit and requested the owner decline other media requests to ensure exclusive filming rights.
The cafe is located at the northernmost point accessible to ordinary tourists, offering a direct view of Panmunjom, the border fence, and the North Korean side. Notably, CNN also set up live broadcast equipment in the area the night before the unexpected meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un on June 30, 2019. As a symbolic site of the Korean War and division, Imjingak's location holds a high degree of symbolic significance.
Further Reading
Scholars: Whether a lightning meeting between Trump and Kim can take place depends on Kim Jong-un.
However, South Korean diplomatic circles generally believe that Trump's visit to South Korea is short and his itinerary is tight, making a lightning meeting unlikely.
Lim Eul-chul, a professor at the Institute of Far Eastern Studies at Kyungnam University, pointed out: "The key remains Kim Jong-un. Since the collapse of the 2019 Hanoi summit, North Korea has demanded no more formal talks than US recognition of its nuclear status. Without guaranteed outcomes, a hasty meeting could be counterproductive."
Despite this, there have been recent signs of "restarting engagement" between the two sides. In his speech to the Supreme People's Assembly on September 21, Kim Jong-un made a rare allusion to "good memories" with Trump. The White House subsequently responded that it is open to "unconditional dialogue."
Views within the South Korean government are divided: Ambassador to the US Kang Kyung-wha stated in a parliamentary statement on the 17th that "there are currently no signs of North Korea-US engagement during APEC." However, Unification Minister Chung Dong-young believes, "Based on signs and analysis, the possibility of an impromptu meeting between the leaders of North Korea and the United States is not zero." He notes that, with the potential support of China and Russia, Kim Jong-un may view Trump as "the last US president with whom he can have direct dialogue," which could be the primary impetus for an impromptu meeting.
In June 2019, after attending the G20 summit in Japan, Trump suddenly proposed a meeting with Kim Jong-un via social media. Just 32 hours later, the two exchanged a historic handshake at Panmunjom. Now, with CNN once again preemptively covering Panmunjom, speculation about a "Trump-Kim reunion" has intensified.
