U.S. to set no timeline in regards to North Korea's denuclearization: Pompeo
- 6 years ago
Two weeks have passed since the historic North Korea-U.S. summit in Singapore.
And amid the ongoing silence on how or when Pyongyang's denuclearization steps will be taken, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has released a statement that's quite different in tone compared to his previous ones on the North.
Lee Ji-won has more.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says there's no timeline for North Korea's denuclearization, but the Trump administration will "constantly reassess" whether enough progress is being made to continue talks.
Pompeo made the remarks in a phone interview with CNN to mark his first two months in office.
While there will be no timeline on the denuclearization process, Pompeo said the U.S. is committed to going forward at an "expeditious moment" to achieve what was agreed at the first ever North Korea-U.S. summit on June 12th.
This is in stark contrast to a senior U.S. defense official, who said ahead of Defense Secretary James Mattis' trip to Asia that Washington will soon set a timeline for North Korea with "specific asks".
Pompeo had also told reporters the day after the Singapore summit that Washington hopes to achieve North Korea's "major disarmament" within Trump's current term, which ends in January 2021.
But as if to reconfirm, Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said Monday, that U.S. defense officials would only speak to military-related negotiations on North Korea and that there was "no specific timeline" for the diplomatic process.
Despite concerns about the root of these comments, and what could be causing the delay with the follow-up meetings, Pompeo remained outwardly optimistic about North Korea's denuclearization.
Pompeo suggested it was too soon to expect a detailed roadmap after 40 years of tensions but he insisted North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had been "unequivocal" about his willingness to denuclearize.
Pompeo added that understandings put together prior to and during the summit put the U.S. on the right trajectory to build a framework for success.
Referring to President Trump's suspension of Washington's joint military exercises with South Korea, Pompeo said it would only last if "there's a good faith negotiation progress", with "productive results being achieved".
While Pompeo said a week ago that he would likely travel back to Pyongyang "before too terribly long", there has not yet been an official announcement on his travel plans.
Lee Ji-won Arirang News.
And amid the ongoing silence on how or when Pyongyang's denuclearization steps will be taken, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has released a statement that's quite different in tone compared to his previous ones on the North.
Lee Ji-won has more.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says there's no timeline for North Korea's denuclearization, but the Trump administration will "constantly reassess" whether enough progress is being made to continue talks.
Pompeo made the remarks in a phone interview with CNN to mark his first two months in office.
While there will be no timeline on the denuclearization process, Pompeo said the U.S. is committed to going forward at an "expeditious moment" to achieve what was agreed at the first ever North Korea-U.S. summit on June 12th.
This is in stark contrast to a senior U.S. defense official, who said ahead of Defense Secretary James Mattis' trip to Asia that Washington will soon set a timeline for North Korea with "specific asks".
Pompeo had also told reporters the day after the Singapore summit that Washington hopes to achieve North Korea's "major disarmament" within Trump's current term, which ends in January 2021.
But as if to reconfirm, Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said Monday, that U.S. defense officials would only speak to military-related negotiations on North Korea and that there was "no specific timeline" for the diplomatic process.
Despite concerns about the root of these comments, and what could be causing the delay with the follow-up meetings, Pompeo remained outwardly optimistic about North Korea's denuclearization.
Pompeo suggested it was too soon to expect a detailed roadmap after 40 years of tensions but he insisted North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had been "unequivocal" about his willingness to denuclearize.
Pompeo added that understandings put together prior to and during the summit put the U.S. on the right trajectory to build a framework for success.
Referring to President Trump's suspension of Washington's joint military exercises with South Korea, Pompeo said it would only last if "there's a good faith negotiation progress", with "productive results being achieved".
While Pompeo said a week ago that he would likely travel back to Pyongyang "before too terribly long", there has not yet been an official announcement on his travel plans.
Lee Ji-won Arirang News.