Pompeo Pushes for Second Trump-Kim Nuclear Summit During Asia Trip

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo traveled to Japan, North Korea, South Korea and China to push for a second nuclear summit between President Donald Trump and Chairman Kim Jong Un. Last June, the two men held the first-ever nuclear summit between the U.S. and North Korea after more than six decades of hostility.

UPDATE: Mike Pompeo: U.S., DPRK “Pretty Close” in Talks for Second Trump-Kim Summit

From October 6-7, he met in Tokyo, Japan, with Prime Minister Shinzō Abe and Foreign Minister Taro Kon. On October 7, Secretary Pompeo and Special Representative Stephen E. Biegun met with Chairman Kim and Kim Yo-jong, First Vice Director of the Korean Workers’ Party Central Committee.

“Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo held productive discussions with Chairman Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang Sunday,” State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert said in a statement. “They discussed the four elements contained in the U.S.-DPRK Singapore Summit Joint Statement signed by President Trump and Chairman Kim.”

“They also discussed the upcoming second summit between President Trump and Chairman Kim and refined options for the location and date of that next summit.”

In Singapore, Chairman Kim agreed to the complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. In total, President Trump and Chairman Kim agreed to the four following elements:

Convinced that the establishment of new U.S.–DPRK relations will contribute to the peace and prosperity of the Korean Peninsula and of the world, and recognizing that mutual confidence building can promote the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, President Trump and Chairman Kim Jong Un state the following:

1. The United States and the DPRK commit to establish new U.S.–DPRK relations in accordance with the desire of the peoples of the two countries for peace and prosperity.

2. The United States and the DPRK will join their efforts to build a lasting and stable peace regime on the Korean Peninsula.

3. Reaffirming the April 27, 2018 Panmunjom Declaration, the DPRK commits to work toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

4. The United States and the DPRK commit to recovering POW/MIA remains, including the immediate repatriation of those already identified.

Since the Singapore Summit, North Korea’s behavior has been up for debate, though it’s not debatable that the intercontinental ballistic missile tests have ceased. The State Department also said Chairman Kim invited inspectors to visit the Punggye Ri nuclear test site to confirm that it has been irreversibly dismantled.

Secretary Pompeo departed Pyongyang on October 8 and immediately headed to South Korea to discuss the meeting with President Moon Jae-in. He also attended a working dinner with Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha.

“I would like to thank you deeply for visiting Pyongyang in the morning and coming straight to Seoul afterwards to share the outcome of your trip,” President Moon said. “And I dearly hope that your latest visit, as well as the upcoming U.S.-North Korea summit, which I hope will be happening soon, will make an irreversible and decisive progress in terms of complete denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula as well as the peace process.”

At the working dinner, Secretary Pompeo and Foreign Minister Kang re-affirmed their commitment to the U.S.-ROK Alliance. They also stressed the U.S. and South Korea should continue close coordination with Japan in order to maintain a unified response to North Korea.

“Secretary Pompeo and Chairman Kim also agreed to instruct their respective working-level teams to meet soon to intensify discussions on the key remaining issues to deliver on the Singapore Summit Joint Statement,” Ms. Nauert, the State Department spokesperson added. “President Trump looks forward to continuing to build upon the trust established with Chairman Kim in Singapore and anticipates meeting again soon.”

Secretary Pompeo will meet with his Chinese counterparts in Beijing on October 8, to discuss the nuclear summit, as well as other bilateral, regional and global issues.