Pompeo, North Korea disagree on fruitfulness of talks

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Saturday wrapped up two days of talks in Pyongyang with senior North Korean official Kim Yong Chol, but the two sides offered conflicting reactions to the fruitfulness of the meetings. Before departing, Pompeo said the talks were “productive,” conducted in “good faith,” and that “a great deal of progress” had been made in some areas. But he added that “there’s still more work to be done” in other areas.

Later in the day, North Korea released a statement by an unnamed Foreign Ministry spokesman calling the talks “regrettable,” adding that the United States was making “one-sided and robber-like” demands on “CVID,” complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization. The statement carefully avoided criticizing U.S. President Donald Trump, saying, “We wholly maintain our trust toward President Trump.”

Pompeo did not meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un but left the country with commitments for new discussions on denuclearization and the repatriation of the remains of American soldiers killed during the Korean War. Pompeo said a Pentagon team is scheduled to meet with North Korean officials on or about July 12 at the border between North and South Korea.