John Bolton, who served as White House National Security Advisor during Donald Trump’s first term, predicted that President Trump will likely pursue a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang.

Speaking at a virtual seminar hosted by the Washington D.C.-based Korea Economic Institute (ICAS) on the 1st (local time), Bolton noted, "Trump became the first U.S. president to meet the North Korean leader in Singapore (in 2018), and the first to step onto North Korean soil during the DMZ meeting (in 2019). So, only one step remains: Trump visiting Pyongyang."

"Why does Trump want a meeting? Because he needs photos. Because he wants to shift the spotlight," Bolton said. He suggested that if Trump faces a defeat in the upcoming midterm elections in November, he is likely to turn his gaze overseas rather than deal with Congress at home, mirroring past U.S. presidents entering the final two years of their second term.

Bolton also recalled, "Even during the Singapore summit, Trump suggested to Kim Jong Un, 'Why don't you get on Air Force One with me, and we drop by Pyongyang?' The purpose of a visit to Pyongyang is public relations. That is truly all it is."

Expressing deep skepticism, Bolton stated, "I am very skeptical about whether there is anything we can get out of him (Kim). North Korea will have meticulously calculated what they can gain from such a meeting."

Bolton voiced concern over the decision-making process, saying, "I don't know who is advising Trump on North Korea. I'm not even sure if anyone is advising him at all." He inferred that President Trump appears to be making unilateral decisions as the White House National Security Council (NSC) has effectively been rendered powerless and advice from aides is virtually nonexistent.

"That is why the risks accompanying a Trump-Kim summit are so great," Bolton warned, citing Trump's recent shortening of the annual South Korea-U.S. Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercises as an example. He shared an anecdote from the Singapore summit where Trump shocked his attending aides by spontaneously telling Kim, who raised issues over joint military drills, "I'll just cancel them this year."

Addressing South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, Bolton advised, "It is not necessarily a bad thing for South Korea not to actively push for a summit with Trump. You must be careful about what Trump says and does. That is why the risks are so high."

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