‘CIA DIRECTOR MET JONG-UN’
Talks to end Korean War on the cards
PRESIDENT Donald Trump confirmed yesterday that his CIA director had met North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on a secret visit to Pyongyang, ahead of a planned summit between the two leaders.
“Mike Pompeo met Kim Jongun in North Korea last week. Meeting went very smoothly and a good relationship was formed. Details of Summit are being worked out,” tweeted Trump.
“Denuclearisation will be a great thing for World, but also for North Korea!” he added.
The tweet came after The Washington Post reported on Tuesday that Pompeo made the trip over the first weekend of the month.
The meeting was part of an effort to prepare for a historic meeting in the coming weeks between Trump and Kim, the paper said, quoting two people with direct knowledge of the trip.
The visit came shortly after Pompeo was nominated to be secretary of state, the paper said.
Speaking on Tuesday in Florida where he was hosting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Trump said he had given his blessing to discussions aimed at formally ending the Korean war.
Setting the stage for a major breakthrough, he said “a great chance to solve a world problem” was within reach on the Korean peninsula.
Trump also confirmed that Washington and Pyongyang had been in contact at “very high levels” and that “five locations” were being considered for his meeting with Kim.
Separately, Seoul officials say they are looking at ways to secure a peace agreement, with Kim and the South’s President Moon Jaein due to hold a summit next week.
The US-led United Nations command, China and North Korea are signatories to the 1953 armistice, while South Korea is not.