Pompeo, Kim say denuclearization back on track

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday said he made “significant progress” in talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un over denuclearization efforts. The two officials met on Sunday in Pyongyang, North Korea, and attended a luncheon Kim hosted at a state guesthouse. Pompeo said they agreed to start planning the details of denuclearization, to allow international inspectors at one of the North’s major nuclear sites, and to finalize soon the location and date for Kim’s next summit with U.S. President Donald Trump. In a Monday statement, Kim said he was satisfied with his talks with Pompeo, “at which mutual stands were fully understood and opinions exchanged.”

The meeting marks Pompeo’s fourth visit to North Korea. During an earlier trip in July, North Korea condemned him for making “gangster-like demands.” The United States has maintained it will not lift any sanctions from North Korea until it confirms the denuclearization efforts.