U.S. President Donald Trump's newly-tapped Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has been given the full backing of his boss to prepare for the U.S.-North Korea summit.
Watchers say the change in personnel should accelerate the pace of organizing the unprecedented meeting.
Our Park Jong-hong has the details.
Just two days after nominating him as his new Secretary of State, President Donald Trump has heaped praise on Mike Pompeo's track record.
In a press release, the White House said as director Pompeo led the CIA to confront threats to national security posed by North Korea and put forth new methods that enabled the interdiction of shipments that violate sanctions on the regime.
The touting of his accomplishments is seen as giving credit for his contributions to Trump's maximum pressure campaign against North Korea.
"Pompeo is a great choice. Nobody's closer to President Trump than Mike Pompeo."
Pompeo's formal confirmation is pending a Congressional hearing, a process that may take some time.
But pundits say the pace toward the first-ever U.S.-North Korea summit will probably pick up steam.
Pompeo has said he will strive not to repeat the mistakes of the previous administration with regard to North Korea and highlighted President Trump's accomplishments.
"He leaves on the table the discussion for denuclearization. These are, these are real achievements. These are conditions that the North Korean regime has never submitted to in exchange for conversation."
Known to have more hawkish views than the outgoing Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Pompeo is seen to be capable of taking a hardline stance on North Korea in future denuclearization talks.
Washington Post columnist Josh Rogin wrote on Thursday that the State Department is set regain relevance with the new incoming chief.
On the organizational side, Pompeo is leaning toward discarding much of the State Department reorganization project Tillerson had prioritized, an effort which has been hugely unpopular.
Pompeo is expected to establish a new team inside the current bureaucratic structure aimed at creating less havoc while still emphasizing his own priorities.
Park Jong-hong, Arirang News.
