South Korean stocks linked to inter-Korean economic cooperation and North Korea tourism rallied sharply on August 19 after a Wall Street Journal report said U.S. President Donald Trump had instructed aides to pursue a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during the November Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen, China. The move triggered a rush into peace-theme shares even as the KOSPI and KOSDAQ were broadly weaker. At about 9:30 a.m., Good People and IndieF were trading at their daily upper limits on the KOSDAQ, rising 29.84% to 557 won and 29.85% to 3,110 won, respectively. Ananti climbed more than 16% to 5,180 won, Ilshin Stone gained 15.33% to 766 won, while Kodex Combine and J.ESTINA also advanced. The proposed summit remains uncertain. Since the 2019 Hanoi no-deal, North Korea has expanded its nuclear and missile capabilities and strengthened military and economic ties with Russia and China, including two summits with Chinese President Xi Jinping since last year. Analysts say Pyongyang therefore has less incentive to rush into talks, while a summit without working-level negotiations could carry risks. Others argue Kim may have little to lose and could use a meeting to raise his international standing. Subsequent market monitoring showed Polymarket odds of Trump meeting Kim during 2026 rising 16% in 24 hours to 39%. The market defines a qualifying event as an in-person, face-to-face exchange before 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on December 31, 2026. Xinhua reported that Trump said he expects to meet Kim later this year and, when asked whether the meeting would occur in autumn, answered affirmatively, saying he knows Kim "very well" and gets along "very well" with him. Trump also sought a meeting with Kim during the APEC summit in Gyeongju in October last year. North Korea sent positive signals, but the meeting did not take place because of scheduling constraints, according to U.S. officials cited by the Wall Street Journal. The South Korean government described the latest development as a new phase, with Foreign Minister Cho Hyun saying Seoul was prepared to reopen a dialogue channel and coordinate closely with Washington. Investors also drew encouragement from Trump's decision to substantially reduce South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung's proposal for multilateral talks to end the Korean War and move toward a peace regime.