June 2018 – President Donald Trump meets Kim Jong‑un in Singapore, marking the first U.S.–North Korea summit and establishing a precedent for high‑level dialogue that later informs U.S. openness to talks [1].

February 2019 – Trump and Kim hold a second summit in Hanoi, reinforcing the diplomatic momentum created by the Singapore meeting [1].

June 2019 – The third Trump‑Kim summit occurs at Panmunjom, completing the trio of historic contacts that the White House later cites as stabilizing the peninsula [1].

2023 – Kim Jong‑un declares the two Koreas “hostile states,” a policy later reiterated at the 2026 Workers’ Party congress and used by Seoul to frame its diplomatic stance [5].

Nov 28, 2025 – South Korea’s Unification Minister warns that North Korea may adopt a more hostile posture in 2026, urges renewed dialogue, and highlights the upcoming U.S.–China summit in April 2026 as a decisive moment for peace [14].

Dec 16, 2025 – The Korea‑focused think tank KNDA forecasts that 2026 could see renewed U.S.–North Korea momentum if Seoul and Washington create “concrete conditions,” and it points to a possible Kim‑Trump summit around Trump’s April 2026 China visit [13].

Dec 25, 2025 – Analysts note that a Kim‑Trump summit could be arranged during Trump’s planned April 2026 trip to China, linking the prospect to U.S. midterm elections and North Korea’s conditional openness if the U.S. drops its denuclearization demand [12].

Jan 16, 2026 – Former U.S. Special Representative Joseph Yun says North Korea would seek sanctions relief and formal nuclear‑state acknowledgment before talks, stresses Seoul’s essential facilitation role, and predicts U.S. backing for South Korea’s nuclear‑submarine program [11].

Feb 6, 2026 – A senior South Korean official in Washington predicts “some new progress in a few days,” describing a modest goodwill gesture that falls short of full U.S.–North Korea dialogue and noting uncertainty due to Pyongyang’s deepening ties with Russia and China [10].

Feb 19‑25, 2026 – The Workers’ Party of Korea convenes its ninth congress, the first in five years, to review the past five‑year plan and set a new agenda for the economy, defense, and diplomacy [9].

Feb 20, 2026 – The congress agenda signals that dialogue with the United States remains possible but contingent on Washington abandoning its denuclearization demand; it also likely codifies the 2023 “hostile states” policy toward South Korea and outlines new weapons development, while observers watch for a formal succession announcement for Kim’s daughter [9].

Feb 21, 2026 – North Korean state media claim “remarkable” five‑year policy success, declare the regime’s status “irreversible,” and reiterate a hostile stance toward South Korea, providing no detail on U.S. relations despite external interest [7].

Feb 23, 2026 – Kim Jong‑un tells the congress that no security change can delay the country’s advance, calls for a bold ideological, technological, and cultural “revolution,” and omits any reference to the United States or South Korea, a silence analysts link to the upcoming U.S.–China summit in April [6].

Feb 24, 2026 – A senior Seoul official announces that a U.S. delegation’s security‑focused visit to Seoul is postponed for scheduling reasons, leaving the date open while negotiations on a joint nuclear‑submarine and energy fact sheet remain pending [8].

Feb 26, 2026 – South Korea’s foreign ministry pledges continued cooperation with the United States to accelerate U.S.–North Korea talks, reaffirms its goal of complete denuclearization, and stresses a “pacemaker” role for Seoul in inter‑Korean diplomacy [4].

Feb 26, 2026 – The South Korean unification ministry condemns North Korea’s renewed hostile policy, reiterates a reconciliatory approach, and notes that Kim’s 2023 hostile‑states declaration is being reaffirmed at the congress [5].

Feb 26, 2026 – The White House confirms that President Trump remains open to talks with Kim without preconditions, cites the three 2018‑2019 summits as stabilizing precedents, and highlights a potential diplomatic window during Trump’s planned China visit from late March to early April [3].

Feb 26, 2026 – North Korea signals willingness to engage with the United States if Washington drops its “hostile” stance, tying the condition to recognition of its nuclear‑armed status and noting that the stance could create a dialogue opening ahead of Trump’s China trip [2].

Feb 27, 2026 – The White House reiterates that Trump is open to dialogue with Kim without any preconditions, echoes the historic summit record, and notes that Seoul’s nuclear envoy confirms the U.S. position while reporting no new working‑level engagement [1].

Late March – Early April 2026 (planned) – President Donald Trump travels to China to meet President Xi Jinping, with analysts expecting a possible Kim‑Trump summit on March 31‑April 2 and a broader U.S.–China summit in April that could shape the diplomatic environment for North Korea [2][3][12][13][14].