South Korea says US-North Korea summit could be possible at any time amid dialogue signs

South Korean officials have said a summit between the United States and North Korea could be possible at any time, citing signs of dialogue between the two sides. The assessment was relayed by a lawmaker who said he had been briefed by Seoul's intelligence agency. The comments come as regional tensions remain sensitive and as military activity in the area is set to increase.

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The lawmaker said there were no confirmed details of direct contact between Washington and Pyongyang, but that there were indications of dialogue. The remarks followed comments by US President Donald Trump, who has mentioned the possibility of another meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Pyongyang has not publicly confirmed any such plan, leaving the prospect of a summit unverified.

The diplomatic signals are unfolding alongside upcoming naval exercises involving the United States, South Korea and Japan, which are due to begin on 7 September. North Korea's foreign ministry said on Monday that the drills constitute a threat to the country and to others in the region. That response underlines how military manoeuvres and diplomacy continue to move in parallel on the Korean peninsula.

The possibility of renewed talks matters because the two Koreas and the United States remain locked in a long-running security dispute centred on North Korea's weapons programme. Any summit would be closely watched for signs of whether the sides can reopen direct engagement after years of stalled diplomacy. It would also have implications for alliance coordination among Seoul, Washington and Tokyo, particularly at a time when military readiness is being publicly signalled.

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The latest comments also recall the history of previous high-level encounters between Trump and Kim, including their 2019 meeting in the demilitarised zone. Since then, public diplomacy has been limited and often accompanied by sharp rhetoric or military demonstrations. The current situation suggests that both signalling and deterrence remain central to how the parties manage the relationship.

What remains unclear is whether the reported signs of dialogue amount to a real channel of communication or only a tentative opening. There is still no confirmed date, venue or direct confirmation from Pyongyang. The next point to watch is whether the planned exercises and any further statements from either side change the diplomatic tone in the coming days.

South Korea's National Intelligence Service has assessed that a summit between the United States and North Korea could happen at any time, according to a lawmaker briefed by the agency. The assessment comes amid signs of dialogue between the two sides, although no concrete contact has been publicly confirmed. The comments add to speculation over whether Washington and Pyongyang may be moving towards renewed engagement.

Lawmaker Youn Kun-young told reporters that the agency viewed a US-North Korea summit as possible at any time. He said the briefing indicated that while no facts about direct contact had been presented, there were signs of dialogue. The remarks followed recent comments by US President Donald Trump, who said last month that he planned to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un again.

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Pyongyang has not given a clear public response to Trump's overtures, and analysts have been sceptical that talks are imminent. North Korea has said Kim had "good memories and feelings" about Trump and that the relationship between the two leaders remains "excellent", but it did not directly confirm any meeting. Trump also said in August that it was important to "get along" with Kim, while adding that North Korea now had 57 "very powerful" nuclear weapons.

The latest speculation comes after Washington scaled back joint military drills with South Korea in August, a move that drew concern among US allies in Asia. Hours after Trump's August remarks, North Korea fired more than 10 short-range ballistic missiles from the Pyongyang area. Kim Yo-jong, the North Korean leader's sister, later described the decision to reduce the drills as Seoul's "comeuppance".

The sequence of events has kept tensions high even as diplomatic signals have emerged. The possibility of renewed talks matters because the two countries remain at the centre of long-running nuclear and security tensions on the Korean peninsula. Any summit would carry implications for regional security, alliance coordination and efforts to manage North Korea's weapons programme.

It would also be closely watched in Seoul, Tokyo and Washington, where military posture and diplomacy are tightly linked. There is still no confirmed date, venue or direct channel for a meeting, and the public record remains limited to indirect signals and political statements. Separate maritime exercises involving the United States, South Korea and Japan are due to begin on 7 September, and Pyongyang has already reacted angrily to those plans.

For now, the main question is whether the reported signs of dialogue develop into formal contact or remain only a tentative opening.

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