4th May, 2020
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has renewed Washington’s goal of denuclearising North Korea.
Following North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s 20-day absence, the United States government said its mission to neutralise the Asian country will create a “bright future” for its people.
In an interview with ABC News’ “This Week”, Pompeo also cast the two Koreas’ recent exchange of gunfire, which was triggered by the North’s gunshots, as “accidental” amid worries that the flare-up of tensions could undercut efforts to resume dialogue with Pyongyang.
Pompeo said; “Our mission has remained the same, to convince the North Koreans to give up their nuclear weapons, to verify the same, and to then create a brighter future for the North Korean people,”.
“That’s been something President (Donald) Trump’s been focused on since the beginning of his time in office and something we’ll continue to work on,” he added.
“There’s not much that I can share with you about what we knew about Chairman Kim’s activities during that time. We don’t know why he chose to miss that moment,” he said, referring to Kim’s absence.