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Pompeo likely to visit N. Korea 'before too terribly long'
By YonhapPublished : June 19, 2018 - 09:16
WASHINGTON -- US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday he will probably travel to North Korea "before too terribly long" to follow up on last week's historic nuclear summit between the two countries' leaders.
Speaking at an event in Detroit, Michigan, the top US diplomat said a lot of work remains to be done to flesh out the details of an agreement signed by US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
"There's a lot of work between here and there," he said, referring to the possibility of a second summit. "My team is already doing it. I'll likely travel back before too terribly long."
Pompeo traveled twice to Pyongyang in recent months to lay the groundwork for Tuesday's summit in Singapore. In the joint statement, Kim reaffirmed his commitment to "complete denuclearization" of the Korean Peninsula, while Trump promised to provide security guarantees to the regime.
"He has made very clear his commitment to fully denuclearize his country," Pompeo said, adding that's "everything," not just the weapons system. "In return for that, the president has committed to making sure that we alter the armistice agreement, provide the security assurances that Chairman Kim needs ... President Trump is committed to delivering on that part of the bargain as well."
Pompeo was speaking to the Armistice Agreement that ended the 1950-53 Korean War. North Korea has sought to replace the armistice with a peace treaty to formally end the conflict.
The US, which fought alongside South Korea, is a signatory to the armistice, along with China and North Korea.
Meanwhile, in a phone conversation Sunday, Pompeo and South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha discussed the next steps following the Singapore summit and reaffirmed the allies' commitment to the goal of complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization, the State Department said in a readout.
They also agreed to maintain close coordination and keep pressure on North Korea until it denuclearizes. (Yonhap)
