The US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will head to Pyongyang this upcoming weekend to meet with North Korea's supreme leader Kim Jong-un as part of his Asian trip itinerary, the office of the State Department confirmed on Tuesday.
Citing the statement made by State Department's spokesperson, Heather Nauert, the report from CNBC said that Pompeo is slated to meet with the NoKor leader this Sunday, Oct. 7, at the Asian nation's capital, Pyongyang.
Although Nauert wasn't able to provide more details on the agenda of Pompeo's North Korean visit, the deputy of the department hinted that the meeting will likely to put the focus on Pyongyang's nuclear capabilities as related to the issue of denuclearization in the Korean Peninsula.
More than likely also, according to a separate report from The Hill, the Secretary will put to the table the matter concerning the initially planned second summit between the Supreme Leader and the US head of state, Donald Trump.
As what has been reported last month here in the Business Times, the Asian leader had asked for his counterpart for another meeting in a letter sent to the White House.
Upon reception of the parcel, the Oval Office confirmed that the American leader was more than willing to accommodate the request, adding that arrangements for the said event have already been done.
In a press briefing with the White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders, the latter said that Kim's letter of invitation was a clear manifestation that North Korea do intend to uphold its commitment to denuclearize the Korean region.
In the same vein, Nauert said that Pompeo's upcoming visit to the Hermit Kingdom shows progress and momentum in the nuclear talks initiated by the Trump administration.
As further specified in The Guardian, the Secretary of State will also be making official visits to Japan, South Korea, and China between the dates of October 6 and 8.
According to Nauert, the meetings in Tokyo, Seoul, and Beijing were intended to brief the said counterpart governments on the talks in North Korea.
Lift Sanctions First
Earlier this month, Pyongyang said that it would require the US to make the first move of removing the sanctions it placed on the country before the full denuclearization process will kick in.
In a privilege speech made during the 73rd UN General Assembly in New York, NoKor Foreign Minister, Ri Yong Ho, told the audience made up of international dignitaries and leaders that North Korea has already taken the necessary measures to show its willingness to establish and maintain peace in the region. It is now Washington's turn to make its end of the bargain.
