Kim Jong‑un’s Planned 2018 Seoul Visit Was Officially Approved South Korean officials say Kim Jong‑un consented to travel to Seoul in 2018 after President Moon Jae‑in’s earlier Pyongyang trip, with the inter‑Korean summit in September framing the talks and a Dec. 1 date discussed before the plan was scrapped [1]. The agreement emerged amid a broader thaw in inter‑Korean relations and was intended to showcase diplomatic progress [1]. Lawmakers highlighted that the decision aligned with a series of high‑level exchanges that year [1].

Detailed Logistics Covered Transport, Security, and Corporate Tours Planning documents show officials scouted Seoul hotels and reserved an entire building for security personnel [1]. The itinerary included Kim riding the high‑speed KTX train, performing at the Gocheok Sky Dome, and touring Samsung Electronics facilities [1]. Security protocols were extensive, reflecting concerns about protecting the North Korean leader on foreign soil [1].

Cancellation Occurred One Day Before Public Announcement The North abruptly called off the trip a day before it would have been announced, citing security concerns and strained relations with Washington [1]. A lawmaker linked the decision to a recent drone attack on Venezuela’s president, suggesting heightened risk perception [1]. The cancellation was framed as a precaution to safeguard Kim’s safety amid a volatile geopolitical environment [1].

Cancellation May Have Influenced Subsequent Hanoi Summit Dynamics Analysts noted that Kim’s decision could have helped Pyongyang avoid a no‑deal outcome at the 2019 Hanoi summit with U.S. President Donald Trump [1]. The article also recalled Kim’s March 2018 statement that North Korea could not relinquish nuclear weapons to future generations, underscoring the regime’s strategic posture [1]. These factors together illustrate how the aborted Seoul visit intersected with broader diplomatic calculations [1].