US President Donald Trump on October 25 appeared to raise the possibility of making a surprise visit to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea during his upcoming trip to Asia, according to The Hill.
“Well, I’d rather not say, but you’ll be surprised,” Trump said, answering the question whether he will visit the DMZ. This came two days after the White House stated the US President likely would not visit the area separating the two Koreas, as that there is not enough time for the president to visit both Camp Humphreys and the outpost along the border. The White House official said that Trump’s personal security was not a concern in weighing a DMZ trip.
Since Ronald Reagan, every American president except George H.W. Bush has visited the DMZ, the heavily guarded strip of land that has divided North and South Korea for 64 years.
Trump is traveling to South Korea as part of a 12-day tour of Asia that will also take him to Japan, China, Vietnam and the Philippines. Much of the US President’s trip will focus on rallying international support for continued pressure on North Korea over its ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programs.
A third US Navy aircraft carrier strike group entered the western Pacific ahead of President Donald Trump’s trip to Asia, the Navy announced the same day.The USS Nimitz joined and the USS Theodore Roosevelt alongside the USS Ronald Reagan, which has been conducting exercises with South Korea’s navy.
The US is getting increasingly wary of the fact that the new missile developed by Pyongyang may be able to reach the US West Coast, according to russian lawmaker who returned from a visit to North Korea earlier this month.