Trump shifts foreign policy focus to North Korea after Middle East agreement

On June 19, 2026, during the G7 summit in Evian, France, U.S. President Donald Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung held discussions regarding the Korean Peninsula. Following a recent agreement with Iran to end the conflict in the Middle East, Trump expressed interest in addressing the North Korean issue. President Lee requested that Trump take the initiative for a peaceful resolution, noting that current sanctions and pressure on Pyongyang have been ineffective. Trump responded by committing to work toward a resolution of the North Korean issue. Shortly thereafter, Trump shared a 2018 photo of himself with Kim Jong Un on social media. Meanwhile, experts like Yang Moo-jin suggest that North Korea currently sees little reason for engagement with the U.S. President Lee is attempting to improve inter-Korean relations, which deteriorated under his predecessor, Yoon Suk-yeol, though Pyongyang continues to maintain an adversarial stance.