Pompeo Pleased With Discussions, Though North Korea Says Otherwise
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PYONGYANG (CBSMiami) – Secretary of State Mike Pompeo just wrapped up talks with North Korea.
He was there for two days but never met with leader Kim Jong-un.
Pompeo said discussions about denuclearization went well but some North Korean officials had a different point of view.
As Pompeo departed Pyongyang after two days of high-level talks, he seemed optimistic about delivering on the promises made in Singapore last month.
"We talked about what the North Koreans are continuing to do and how it's the case we can get our arms around achieving what chairman Kim and President Trump both agreed to, which was the complete denuclearization of North Korea," Pompeo said.
But, when pressed specifically on how North Korea will denuclearize, Pompeo declined to answer.
"I'm not going to get into the details of our conversations," he said.
North Korea had a completely different interpretation of events.
An unnamed foreign ministry spokesman lashed out at the U.S. and called the meetings "disappointing," in a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency.
"The U.S. just came out with such unilateral and gangster-like denuclearization demands.....which runs counter to the spirit of the Singapore summit meeting and talks," the statement read, in part.
During the June summit in Singapore, the president was confident that North Korea would begin denuclearization right away.
We signed a very comprehensive document, and I believe he is going live up to that document," Trump said in June. "In fact, when he lands, I believe he will start that process right away."
The president has not yet responded to the comments from North Korea.
He is spending the long weekend at his golf club in New Jersey, but he has tweeted about "fake news" and his upcoming Supreme Court announcement.