Speculation mounts over Trump–Kim meeting as Panmunjom tours suspended during APEC summit

SEOUL, October 20 (AJP) - Tours to the truce village of Panmunjom will be suspended from late October to early November, coinciding with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju next week.

"There will be no tours to Panmunjom arranged by the ministry during that period," said Gu Byung-sam, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Unification on Monday, adding that any further inquiries should be directed to the United Nations Command (UNC), which governs the demilitarized zone between the two Koreas.

In coordination with the UNC, the ministry has offered group tours twice daily of up to 40 people, mostly consisting of government officials and researchers from state-run institutions.

The temporary halt is fueling speculation about a possible surprise meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump, who is scheduled to make a brief visit to the historic city for the summit, which is scheduled to take place from Oct. 31 to Nov. 1.

Such a meeting is already the talk of the town, after CNN reported over the weekend that U.S. officials are "quietly discussing" a possible meeting with Kim during Trump's visit to Seoul, "though many are skeptical that it will ultimately happen."

In 2019, Trump and Kim had a photo-op at Panmunjom with only about a day's notice, shortly after exchanging messages on X, formerly Twitter, suggesting a similar event could occur again.

But the UNC merely said it would not comment on hypothetical situations related to the matter, adding that requests for access to the Joint Security Area (JSA) are handled in accordance with safety and relevant procedures.

* This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP.