Analysts say Kim views the 2019 summit’s failure as a personal insult and is now more focused Russia, despite Trump’s continued overtures
Trump has signalled fresh interest in direct engagement with North Korea, with the White House confirming last week that “the president remains receptive to correspondence with Kim Jong-un” following reports that Trump had sent another letter to Pyongyang – which North Korean officials declined to accept.
But analysts say Kim is increasingly unwilling to risk another high-profile encounter, citing lingering scepticism after the collapse of the 2019 Hanoi summit, which damaged his domestic standing and deepened distrust of Washington’s intentions.
“There is little possibility of the North returning to talks in the foreseeable future, as Washington has yet to present any concrete policy towards Pyongyang,” Hong told This Week in Asia.
