Trump says meeting with Kim Jong Un will be exciting

American President Donald Trump has said that he's likely to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during his upcoming Asia visit. However, there is no formal announcement or confirmation from the North Korean side yet. Remember, President Trump is set to visit China in mid-November this year to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders' Meeting. The summit is scheduled to take place in Shenzhen on the 18th and 19th of November. While Trump has not confirmed a meeting with Kim, his remarks have raised the possibility of a fresh diplomatic engagement between Washington and Pyongyang. Remember, Trump's remarks come amid continued tensions on the Korean Peninsula. In August, Trump had ordered a substantial reduction in the annual joint military exercises with the South. Apart from citing high cost of the drills, he's also said that it may impact his relationship with Kim Jong-un. In fact, he also expressed concerns that the exercises may send an inappropriate and hostile signal to North Korea. Trump and Kim Jong-un first met on the 12th of June back in 2018 on Singapore's Sentosa Island. It was the first ever meeting between a sitting American president and a North Korean leader. The summit ended with both sides signing a joint statement aimed at improving their bilateral relations. The two leaders met again in Vietnam's Hanoi on the 27th and 28th of February the next year in 2019. But their second summit ended abruptly without an agreement. The breakdown was reportedly linked to disagreements over North Korea's demand for sanctions relief. Then came the third meeting on the 30th of June in 2019. Trump and Kim met at Panmunjom along the Korean demilitarized zone, where Trump became the first sitting U.S. president to step onto North Korean soil. In that brief meeting, the two leaders agreed to restart the working-level negotiations. However, diplomatic overtures have not stopped North Korea from continuing its missile tests. On Monday, Pyongyang had fired multiple ballistic missiles off its east coast, which has reportedly displayed U.S. range capabilities. It was North Korea's fourth ballistic missile test in about a month. North Korean state media later reported that the latest launches involved a tactical ballistic missile with a new technical upgrade. With missile tests continuing, it now remains to be seen whether Trump's upcoming Asia visit could open the door to another meeting with Kim Jong-un.