Seoul: US, N. Korea Agree to Second Summit ‘As Soon as Possible’

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and North Korean President Kim Jong Un have agreed arrange a second U.S.-North Korea summit “as soon as possible,” South Korea’s presidential office said Sunday.

The announcement Sunday came shortly after Pompeo arrived in Seoul, following his fourth visit to North Korea, where he met with Kim.

Pompeo said the United States and North Korea had agreed to continue talks to determine a specific date and location for the next summit, according to a statement from South Korean President Moon Jae-In’s office.

Moon thanked Pompeo for his visit and expressed his well-wishes for the potential upcoming summit between Kim and President Donald Trump. The two leaders last met in Singapore in June.

“I dearly hope that your latest visit, as well as the upcoming U.S.-North Korea summit, which I hope will be happening soon, will make an irreversible, decisive progress in terms of the denuclearization as well as the peace process.”

Following their meeting a day earlier, Kim was heard saying to the top U.S. diplomat, “I am really pleased for this opportunity. After having a nice meeting, we can enjoy a meal together.”

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

Pompeo had said the goal of his meeting with North Korea was “to make sure we understand what each side is truly trying to achieve… and how we can deliver against the commitments that were made” in Singapore where Kim and Trump held their historic summit earlier this year.

On the first leg of Pompeo’s three-day tour of East Asia, he met Saturday with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Foreign Minister Taro Kono about North Korea.

Pompeo said it is important for the two allies to have a “fully coordinated, unified view of how to proceed, which will be what is needed if we are going to be successful on denuclearizing North Korea.”

Abe said he thinks their talks demonstrate to the world the alliance between Japan and the United States is “more robust than ever.”

After Pompeo’s stop in South Korea, he will visit China before heading home.

The Beijing visit could be tense as it comes days after U.S. Vice President Mike Pence delivered a blistering speech accusing China of military aggression, commercial theft, rising human rights violations, and electoral intervention against Trump.

 

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