‘Step forward’ in US, N Korea talks

KIM: ‘A VERY NICE DAY THAT PROMISES A GOOD FUTURE’

Denuclearisation and second US-North Korean summit high on the agenda.

Seoul

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hailed “productive” talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang yesterday before landing in Seoul on a whirlwind diplomatic visit to the region.

The top US diplomat met with Kim for about two hours yesterday morning in the North’s capital, where denuclearisation and a second US-North Korean summit were expected to be high on the agenda, before the pair shared a lunch together.

“Had a good trip to Pyongyang to meet with Chairman Kim,” Pompeo tweeted. “We continue to make progress on agreements made at Singapore Summit. Thanks for hosting me and my team.”

The visit was Pompeo’s fourth to North Korea.

US President Donald Trump met Kim in Singapore in June for the first-ever summit between the countries, resulting in what critics say was only a vague commitment by Kim towards denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.

Speaking to Pompeo via an interpreter following the morning’s talks, Kim praised their “nice meeting”. He added: “It’s a very nice day that promises a good future ... for both countries.”

At a meeting later yesterday with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, Pompeo declined to give specific details of the Pyongyang talks but said he had “a good productive conversation” with Kim. “President Trump said there are many steps along the way and we took one of them today.

“It was another step forward so this is I think a good outcome for all of us.”

The dovish Moon, who held three summits with Kim this year and also brokered the TrumpKim summit in Singapore, said the “whole world” was watching with keen interest the outcomes of Pompeo’s trip.

“I hope your trip to North Korea and the upcoming second USNorth Korea summit will provide a good opportunity for achieving irreversible, decisive progress in terms of denuclearisation and the peace process on the Korean peninsula.”

After a previous visit to Pyongyang in July, Pompeo had said the two foes made progress on key issues – but within hours of his departure the North condemned “gangster-like” demands from the US, raising questions over how much the two sides really saw eye to eye.

An official on yesterday’s latest visit to Pyongyang with Pompeo said the trip was “better than the last time”, but added: “It’s going to be a long haul.”–