Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Denver news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Des Moines news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Minneapolis-St. Paul news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Tampa Bay news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Charlotte news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
People watch TV at a railway station in Seoul. Photo: JUNG YEON-JE/AFP/Getty Images
President Trump told South Korean President Moon Jae-in in a call on Tuesday that he remains open to holding talks with North Korea “at the appropriate time, under the right circumstances,” according to the White House readout of their call.
Why it matters: Trump’s stance has generally been that he's unwilling to talk with the regime until it eases up on its nuclear program. This shows Trump may be a step closer to accepting talks, but what exactly Trump meant by “under the right circumstances” wasn’t immediately clear, and could very well still include that same demand that the North abandon its nukes, which it has previously said it will never do.
This comes just after South Korea tried discussing military issues with the North in face-to-face meetings earlier this week, and North Korea expressed took nukes off the table. The North Korean chief delegate at the meeting, Ri Son Gwon, said the weapons are pointed exclusively at the U.S.
Go deeper: What North Korea wants from the U.S.