National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac briefs on President Lee Jae Myung's attendance to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit during a press briefing in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Sunday. (Yonhap)
National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac briefs on President Lee Jae Myung's attendance to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit during a press briefing in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Sunday. (Yonhap)

South Korea has no information yet on a possible meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, but will be prepared should the possibility arise.

Wi, accompanying President Lee Jae Myung on his trip to Malaysia for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit, made the remarks Sunday after Trump said he is open to meeting Kim during his visit to South Korea this week if the North Korean leader wishes to do so.

"The information we have is no different from what you already know. We've only seen the news reports as well," Wi told reporters in Kuala Lumpur. "But we are prepared for any scenario."

Trump is scheduled to make a state visit to South Korea on Wednesday and Thursday on the occasion of the APEC summit to be held in the southeastern city of Gyeongju.

Trump last met Kim at the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom in June 2019. It was the third in-person meeting between the leaders following their first in Singapore in June 2018 and the second in Hanoi in February 2019.

Wi said Lee is not scheduled to meet Trump in Kuala Lumpur, as their summit is planned in South Korea on Wednesday, but left open the possibility of a brief encounter on the margins of Monday's ASEAN summit.

During this year's ASEAN summit, Lee will outline Seoul's peace initiatives for the Korean Peninsula to draw support from the 10-member regional bloc.

"We are discussing our overall North Korea policy with ASEAN and working to draw support for it," he said, adding that a joint declaration on Korean Peninsula issues is not being ruled out.

Since taking office in June, Lee has extended an olive branch to North Korea, but Pyongyang has repeatedly rejected his offers for dialogue.

At this year's gathering, South Korea will also present its vision to deepen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) established last year -- the highest level of ties ASEAN offers a dialogue partner.

Lee will unveil what Seoul calls the "CSP vision," aimed at positioning ASEAN as a partner in creating dreams and hope, a springboard for growth and innovation, and a partner for peace and security.

"The upcoming summit is expected to serve as the debut stage showcasing the Lee administration's emphasis on relations with ASEAN," Wi said.

On Monday, Lee will also attend the ASEAN Plus Three summit, setting the stage for his first in-person meetings with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Chinese Premier Li Qiang.

The meetings are expected to be brief, Wi noted, as Lee plans to hold a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the APEC summit, while consultations are under way for a formal meeting with Takaichi there. (Yonhap)