US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was in Pyongyang to discuss North Korea’s plans with regard to denuclearization but the response he received was not as expected. North's Foreign Ministry has questioned the attitude of the United States on the subject and said that America has “betrayed the spirit of last month's summit.” The decisions taken by Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un appears to be on shaky ground.
Sky News reports that North Korea feels America is not taking into consideration the views of the North and this could derail the process. The North's official KCNA news agency has labeled the talks with Pompeo as "extremely troubling" and "regrettable." The US wants to ensure that denuclearization is total in all respects and the North interprets this as a matter of concern.
Tough task ahead for Mike Pompeo
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had a tough task on hand. He had to liaise with officials in North Korea to ensure that the decisions taken by Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un in Singapore on denuclearization were implemented. Mike Pompeo’s latest visit to Pyongyang was his third one after he became Secretary of State. The hosts have termed the result of the talks as "very concerning." They have gone to the extent of dropping hints that it could have an adverse effect on the plan outlined to eliminate activities connected to its the nuclear ambitions.
However, Pompeo is hopeful that things will improve and has said that this was the beginning and much more needs to be done.
He said his talks with senior North Korean official Kim Yong Chol had been "productive."
Mike Pompeo must tread with caution
After the Singapore summit, Donald Trump declared on Twitter that North Korea was no longer a "threat" and the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula will bring peace to the region. He sent Mike Pompeo to Pyongyang to interact with North Korean officials and chalk out implementation plans.
However, the Secretary of State is realizing that it will not be plain sailing.
According to the Chicago Tribune, Kim Jong-un wants to set forth some conditions before embarking on the all-important issue of a nuclear-free peninsula. One of these is clarity on ending the Korean War. It had concluded with an armistice and not a peace treaty, and Kim wants America to settle this issue.
At the Singapore summit, Trump had decided to suspend US military exercises with South Korea as an act of goodwill. North Korea has said that it destroyed the tunnels at a nuclear test site to show its sincerity. Incidentally, the two sides have yet to define denuclearization and decide on modalities of the verification process. This should cover the inventory of nuclear weapons, the testing facilities, etcetera.
