Jeong Dongyoung Suggests Trump's North Korea Summit Photo May Signal Response to Kim Jong Un Letter

Minister Chung Dongyoung of the Ministry of Unification commented on U.S. President Donald Trump posting a past photo from a North Korea-U.S. summit on social media, stating, "There is a possibility that this is the beginning of letter-based diplomacy."

Minister Chung Dongyoung is speaking at the 2026 Global Korea Forum (GKF) held at the Bankers Association building in Jung-gu on the 22nd. Ministry of Unification

In his opening remarks at the 2026 Global Korea Forum (GKF) held at the Bankers Association building in Jung-gu on the 22nd, Minister Chung said, "It is possible that, perhaps around President Trump's birthday, a personal letter from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un quietly arrived," adding, "That is my interpretation."

Minister Chung explained that this was the analysis of Professor Lee Jungchul from the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Seoul National University, stating, "I thought the analysis that President Trump uploaded the photo in response, and that it could be the beginning of letter-based diplomacy, was plausible." He went on to say, "I hope that North Korea-U.S. engagement and dialogue will resume."

President Trump had posted a photo on social media on the 13th, showing himself walking side by side with Kim Jong Un. The photo was taken during the first North Korea-U.S. summit held in Singapore in June 2018, capturing the two leaders strolling together in the hotel garden after the summit.

Regarding the second North Korea-U.S. summit held in Hanoi, Vietnam in February 2019, Minister Chung said, "The time in Hanoi represented a failure of the U.S. policy on the Korean Peninsula, a failure of North Korea's policy toward the U.S., and ultimately a failure of our government's role." He continued, "If there had not been a 'no deal' in Hanoi and an agreement had been reached, the clock on the Korean Peninsula would look very different today." He emphasized, "We must not fail in the time on the Korean Peninsula that may be approaching."

In addition, Minister Chung said, "To make peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula a reality, we must accurately inherit the legacy of peace created by democratic governments," adding, "The Jaemyung Lee administration can never be a successor to the antagonistic confrontation policy of the Seokyeol Yoon administration. This must be brought to an end." He further emphasized, "This must be a moment to set our coordinates and determine our direction in the context of succeeding past democratic governments."

Meanwhile, the GKF held on this day is an expanded and developed version of the "Korean Peninsula International Forum," a Track 1.5 international conference that has been organized annually by the Ministry of Unification since 2010. The event will continue through the 23rd.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.