President Trump on Wednesday 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.
“Well, I’d rather not say, but you’ll be surprised,” Trump told reporters at the White House who asked whether he will visit the DMZ.
His comments came two days after the White House said he likely would not visit the area separating the two Koreas.
Past presidents have visited the heavily guarded zone to show America’s commitment to standing up against North Korean aggression.
But some aides and regional experts have feared a presidential visit would light a fuse in the nuclear standoff between the U.S. and North Korea.
The 2.5-mile wide strip of land has symbolized the standoff between North and South Korea since the two nations signed an armistice in 1953, which unofficially ended the Korean War.
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.