America's top diplomat has revealed President Trump's goal on North Korea... by saying that the U.S. plans to denuclearize the regime by the end of Trump's first term.
Lee Ji-won has more.
The U.S. had been careful to avoid mentioning a specific timeline for North Korea's denuclearization, but U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has reiterated the Trump administration's previous hopes of achieving the regime's complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization by the end of President Donald Trump's current term in office, which runs until January 2021, and hopes to reach that goal "more quickly if possible."
State Secretary Pompeo made such comments at his briefing to the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee on North Korea on Wednesday.
Pompeo said that although there is a long way to go, there has been progress and Washington plans to be patient.
"We're engaged in patient diplomacy but we will not let this drag out to no end. I emphasize this position in the productive discussions I had with Vice Chairman Kim Yong Chol. President Trump remains upbeat about the prospects for North Korean denuclearization."
But despite the "productive" discussions and continued efforts to engage in talks with the North, Pompeo confirmed that the regime continues to make material for nuclear weapons.
"I am just trying to make sure I don't cross into classified information... I'm not trying to hesitate. Yes, they continue to produce fissile material."
When asked about whether North Korea was continuing to pursue submarine-launched ballistic missiles or whether its nuclear program is still advancing, Pompeo declined to answer, saying that public statements on the issue would not help "a complex negotiation with a difficult adversary."
At the hearing, Pompeo also reiterated the importance of North Korea's declaration of its nuclear capabilities, which is one of the key demands from Washington. He said that an initial declaration is vital for the U.S. to verify North Korea's full denuclearization.
Lee Ji-won, Arirang News.
