North Korea Calls Negotiations with Pompeo 'Regrettable'

North Korean officials described the negotiations between their country and a high-level U.S. delegation led by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as 'regrettable,' accusing Washington of attempting to exert unilateral pressure on the country to halt its nuclear program. According to North Korea's state news agency, the statement was made by an unnamed spokesperson from the North Korean Foreign Ministry in a released statement. The statement from the North Korean Foreign Ministry was published on Saturday, July 7, just hours after the conclusion of Pompeo's two-day talks with senior North Korean officials. At the end of these negotiations, the U.S. Secretary of State announced that both sides committed to further negotiations regarding the denuclearization process of the Korean Peninsula and the repatriation of the remains of American soldiers killed in the Korean War. Before leaving Pyongyang, Pompeo described his meeting with Kim Yong-chol, a senior North Korean official, as 'constructive' and stated that there had been 'very good progress' in some areas. He emphasized that more work needed to be done in certain areas, and this task was assigned to working groups designated by both sides to reach agreements on specific issues. However, the Associated Press reports that Pyongyang has a harsher assessment of these negotiations, claiming that the United States has not remained faithful to the spirit of last month's meeting between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and has merely presented its demands 'unilaterally' like 'bandits.' The North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson also stated that the outcome of these negotiations is 'very concerning' as it has reached a dangerous stage that could undermine their genuine willingness for denuclearization. The spokesperson added, 'We expected the U.S. side to propose constructive measures that would help build trust based on the spirit of the leaders' meeting... We were also thinking about bilateral actions.' Ultimately, he stated, 'Overall, the approach and position of the United States in the first meeting between high-ranking officials of the two countries was undoubtedly regrettable.' Previously, Mike Pompeo announced that the next meeting would be held by U.S. Defense Department officials with North Korean officials on Thursday this week at the border between the two Koreas, focusing on the return of the remains of American soldiers killed in the Korean War, which began in 1950 with the invasion of South Korean forces by North Korea and lasted until 1953. The United Nations intervened in this war in favor of South Korea, and the U.S. entered the war against Pyongyang with international forces.