International Desk || US President Donald Trump has expressed interest in meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un again by the end of this year, but Pyongyang’s cautious response suggests Washington may face tough conditions before any new summit.Trump said on Wednesday that he hoped to meet Kim sometime this year. Earlier this week, he also moved to scale back the scope of joint US-South Korean military exercises, describing the drills as hostile toward North Korea.A source familiar with discussions between US and South Korean officials said Trump is keen to revive dialogue with Pyongyang and secure a diplomatic breakthrough.The two leaders could potentially meet on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen, China, later this year if North Korea shows interest in renewed talks.A US State Department spokesperson said Washington was ready to engage with North Korea without preconditions.“President Trump and Kim Jong Un will meet again at the appropriate time,” the spokesperson said.However, Pyongyang has so far shown little enthusiasm for the proposal.Analysts say North Korea has made it clear that the personal relationship between Trump and Kim is separate from its broader diplomatic and security interests.Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University’s Institute for Far Eastern Studies, said Kim’s personal ties with Trump would not override North Korea’s priorities of strengthening its national security and military capabilities.Pyongyang rejects ‘goodwill’ signalsKim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of Kim Jong Un, dismissed the significance of Washington’s decision to reduce the scale of the Ulchi Freedom Shield military exercise with South Korea.She said the drills remained aggressive as long as they continued and that US policy toward North Korea had not fundamentally changed.Kim Yo Jong also denied any recent contact between Trump and Kim, although she described their personal relationship as “excellent.”Meanwhile, South Korea’s military said North Korea launched around 10 ballistic missiles toward its eastern waters on Thursday. Analysts believe the launches were likely a protest against the ongoing US-South Korea military exercises.Kim Yo Jong warned that Pyongyang would not respond positively if Washington tried to portray its recent moves as a sign of goodwill.