Much progress made with North Korea, but more work remains: Pompeo
- 6 years ago
And on to the high-stakes talks in New York between the North Korean leader's right-hand man Kim Yong-chol and America's top diplomat Mike Pompeo.
Speaking at a press conference Thursday afternoon, local time,... Pompeo said he's confident their teams in Singapore and at the border village of Panmunjom, working with their North Korean counterparts to prepare for the North Korea-U.S. summit, are going in the right direction.
For more let's connect live to our Lee Ji-won who is on the phone for us over at Seoul's Foreign Affairs Ministry.
Ji-won,... tell us more about what Pompeo said....
Ji-yoon, Pompeo said much progress has been made not only in his talks with the Vice chairman of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party's Central Committee Kim Yong-chol but also in meetings at the other venues,... but there remains a great deal of work to do, including convincing the North that in fact their security is greater without nuclear weapons.
Pompeo reiterated how he made it clear to the regime numerous times, including in his recent talks with Kim Yong-chol and his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during his visit to Pyongyang, of his, President Trump and the United States' objective of the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. He added they also made sure North Korea is clearly aware of the brighter path the U.S. is ready to help Pyongyang make, should it denuclearize.
And Secretary Pompeo said he has faith in the North Korean leader.
"It will take bold leadership from Chairman Kim Jong-un if we are able to seize this once in a lifetime opportunity to change the course for the world. President Trump and I believe Chairman Kim is the kind of leader who can make those kinds of decisions and that in the coming weeks and months we will have the opportunity to test whether or not this is the case."
Pompeo added he and Kim Yong-chol discussed how North Korea and the U.S. face a pivotal moment in opening a new era of peace, prosperity and security, and the two sides should not let this opportunity go to waste.
And we also have learned that Kim Yong-chol is heading over to Washington,... something that President Trump had mentioned as well.
Mind you, this senior North Korean official is someone who needed a travel waiver for his trip to the U.S.,... as he is one of the North Korean officials on America's sanctions list.
Yes Ji-yoon,... the U.S. placed sanctions on Kim in 2010 and again in 2015, for his alleged role behind Pyongyang's nuclear development and other illicit activites, including the sinking of a South Korean warship that killed 46 seamen eight years ago.
And according to State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert, Kim would need another waiver to travel outside New York.
The city is the only place in the U.S. where North Korea has a diplomatic presence -- Pyongyang's mission to the United Nations, so visa waivers for official visits are made relatively easier.
Speaking at a press conference Thursday afternoon, local time,... Pompeo said he's confident their teams in Singapore and at the border village of Panmunjom, working with their North Korean counterparts to prepare for the North Korea-U.S. summit, are going in the right direction.
For more let's connect live to our Lee Ji-won who is on the phone for us over at Seoul's Foreign Affairs Ministry.
Ji-won,... tell us more about what Pompeo said....
Ji-yoon, Pompeo said much progress has been made not only in his talks with the Vice chairman of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party's Central Committee Kim Yong-chol but also in meetings at the other venues,... but there remains a great deal of work to do, including convincing the North that in fact their security is greater without nuclear weapons.
Pompeo reiterated how he made it clear to the regime numerous times, including in his recent talks with Kim Yong-chol and his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during his visit to Pyongyang, of his, President Trump and the United States' objective of the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. He added they also made sure North Korea is clearly aware of the brighter path the U.S. is ready to help Pyongyang make, should it denuclearize.
And Secretary Pompeo said he has faith in the North Korean leader.
"It will take bold leadership from Chairman Kim Jong-un if we are able to seize this once in a lifetime opportunity to change the course for the world. President Trump and I believe Chairman Kim is the kind of leader who can make those kinds of decisions and that in the coming weeks and months we will have the opportunity to test whether or not this is the case."
Pompeo added he and Kim Yong-chol discussed how North Korea and the U.S. face a pivotal moment in opening a new era of peace, prosperity and security, and the two sides should not let this opportunity go to waste.
And we also have learned that Kim Yong-chol is heading over to Washington,... something that President Trump had mentioned as well.
Mind you, this senior North Korean official is someone who needed a travel waiver for his trip to the U.S.,... as he is one of the North Korean officials on America's sanctions list.
Yes Ji-yoon,... the U.S. placed sanctions on Kim in 2010 and again in 2015, for his alleged role behind Pyongyang's nuclear development and other illicit activites, including the sinking of a South Korean warship that killed 46 seamen eight years ago.
And according to State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert, Kim would need another waiver to travel outside New York.
The city is the only place in the U.S. where North Korea has a diplomatic presence -- Pyongyang's mission to the United Nations, so visa waivers for official visits are made relatively easier.