CIA Chief Meets with North Korean Leader

According to reports, Mike Pompeo, the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency and Donald Trump's nominee for Secretary of State, has met with Kim Jong-un to plan negotiations between North Korean and U.S. leaders. If this news is officially confirmed, such a meeting at this level between senior officials of the two countries would be unprecedented in the past two decades. The Washington Post was the first media outlet to report on the 'meeting' between Pompeo and Kim Jong-un on April 17. According to the Washington Post, the two met confidentially in Pyongyang during the Easter holiday. Reuters, the Associated Press, and the New York Times also published similar reports citing unnamed government officials. A 'formal meeting' between a senior official at the level of the CIA Director and a nominee for the U.S. Secretary of State, and an official at the level of the North Korean leader - if confirmed - would be unprecedented since 2000. In 2000, Madeleine Albright, the then Secretary of State, met with Kim Jong-il, the father of the current North Korean leader. Donald Trump, the President of the United States, himself told reporters on April 17, 'We have had direct negotiations with North Korea at very high levels. I really believe there is good will and very good things are happening.' A week earlier, Trump had informed the U.S. cabinet meeting about contacts between the two countries: 'As you may have heard about North Korea, we have been in contact with North Korea, and we will have a meeting with them in late May or early June.' U.S. officials had told news media on April 8 that during secret contacts and discussions between North Korean and U.S. officials, Pyongyang had 'expressed readiness to negotiate' on denuclearization. After the public invitation from Kim Jong-un to Donald Trump for a meeting and Trump's acceptance of this invitation, it was stated that the two sides would meet and discuss in late spring or early summer. Recent events mark a significant development in the Korean Peninsula crisis. In recent months, severe tensions had developed in the Korean Peninsula; North Korea conducted several missile tests indicating significant progress in producing ballistic and intercontinental missiles. Additionally, it conducted nuclear tests and was reported to have made major efforts to miniaturize nuclear warheads and mount them on ballistic missiles. Meanwhile, UN sanctions intensified, and the U.S. and its allies increased their unilateral and multilateral sanctions on Pyongyang. At the same time, warnings and verbal threats had been exchanged between the leaders of the United States and North Korea regarding nuclear attacks or widespread attacks against each other.