Pompeo to travel to N. Korea on July 5

Secretary of state to seek answers on Kim Jong Un’s intention to denuclearize

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will travel to North Korea on July 5 to continue talks with Kim Jong Un’s government, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Monday.

Pompeo’s visit follows the historic June summit between Kim and President Donald Trump in Singapore. The secretary of state, making his third trip to North Korea, will seek answers about Kim’s intentions after new intelligence suggested the country has continued to ramp up its nuclear capabilities.

The trip represents the highest-level exchange between the two sides since Trump and Kim met and agreed to work toward “complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,” without establishing a framework or guideposts for achieving that goal. Trump administration officials have deflected criticism of the agreement, describing it as the first step in a negotiated process to persuade Kim to give up his nuclear weapons.

But new doubts about Kim’s intentions have been raised in recent days as independent researchers and media organizations detailed North Korean efforts to increase fuel production, build more missile launchers and expand a key rocket-engine manufacturing facility.

“This meeting is absolutely critical,” said Sue Mi Terry, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “One can argue that the North Koreans are doing all of this to get maximum concessions out of the United States if and when they decide to give up their nuclear program. But at some point they have to sit down and actually produce something. Maybe this trip, but I’m not holding my breath.”

The two sides have expressed different expectations for the pace and sequence of North Korea’s disarmament and relief from international sanctions. While Trump said North Korea would see economic penalties relaxed only after he has “completely denuclearized,” Kim has advocated a “step-bystep” process.