No Trump-Kim Summit Scheduled, Says US Secretary Rubio

Although US President Donald Trump is open to a future meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, no summit has been scheduled, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday after the G20 foreign ministers' meeting.

Rubio said Trump would consider meeting Kim only if such talks were likely to deliver meaningful and useful outcomes. He did not provide any date, location or formal arrangements for a possible encounter.

Asked about the prospect, Rubio said, "I have no announcement on that today," signalling that there is no imminent plan.

He noted that Trump sees diplomacy as a tool even when relations are strained. Engaging with a country, in Rubio's words, does not mean endorsing its policies, and talks can be useful despite serious differences.

Rubio indicated that Washington would welcome discussions if Pyongyang is prepared to address the concerns of the United States and its allies. He did not outline possible agenda items or conditions for any meeting.

Turning to South Korea, Rubio said bilateral issues, including visas, would be settled between the two governments.

He also pointed to a trilateral meeting with Japan and South Korea held on the margins of the G20 summit, where the three countries signed a memorandum of understanding on Arctic cooperation. The initiative, he said, focuses on peaceful relations, trade and regional stability.

Trump and Kim first met in Singapore in June 2018, followed by a summit in Hanoi in February 2019. In June 2019, the two leaders also met at the Korean Demilitarized Zone.