South Korea will suspend trips to the Panmunjeom truce village next week as speculation grows over a potential meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during the APEC summit.
The Ministry of Unification confirmed the suspension on Monday. Spokesperson Koo Byoung-sam said, “From late October to early November, we will not operate special field trips to Panmunjeom.”
Since mid-2023, the ministry has limited Panmunjeom visits to “policy customers” after a U.S. soldier crossed into North Korea without authorization.
The suspension coincides with Trump’s upcoming visit to South Korea for the APEC summit in Gyeongju, scheduled for October 31 to November 1. Observers speculate that Trump could meet Kim at Panmunjeom during the summit.
CNN reported that Trump administration officials privately discussed arranging the meeting, although Washington and Pyongyang have not communicated directly about it.
During the APEC period, the United Nations Command (UNC), which manages the southern side of Panmunjeom, will halt its trip program for foreign visitors. Government sources explained that the UNC requested the ministry’s suspension. They described it as a “sign” that preparations are underway for a potential U.S.-North Korea meeting.
Trump and Kim previously met at Panmunjeom in June 2019, following their summits in Singapore in 2018 and Hanoi in 2019.
Experts suggest that the suspension may primarily aim to prevent provocations by North Korea during the global summit, rather than solely preparing for a Trump-Kim meeting.
