At first glance, the stars appear to be aligning for a resumption of the bromance between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, “love letters” and all.
Trump has repeatedly expressed a willingness to reengage with Pyongyang, including during a summit with South Korea’s new liberal president, who is far more amenable than his ousted conservative predecessor to easing inter-Korean tensions. Even Japan — traditionally reluctant to endorse a peace push — is on board as it gropes for a resolution to the long-festering issue of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korean agents decades ago.
The Trump administration, which has retained a handful of officials involved in the 2018-19 diplomatic outreach to Pyongyang, has also been quietly preparing for a possible meeting around the time the U.S. president visits South Korea at the end of this month prior to a regional summit there.
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