North Korean Leader Expresses Hope for Another Meeting with Trump

According to reports from North Korean state media, the leader of the country expressed hope during a meeting with the U.S. Secretary of State that "sooner or later, a suitable plan" will be made for another meeting with Donald Trump. On October 8, the North Korean state news agency reported that Kim Jong-un stated he "believes that dialogue between North Korea and the United States, based on trust between the leaders of the two countries, will lead to a better future, and sooner or later, a suitable plan for the second round of negotiations will be on the agenda." The North Korean leader expressed his "confidence" and "willingness" to make progress on issues of mutual interest, including denuclearization. Kim and Trump met in a historic summit in Singapore last spring and agreed to move towards the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Pyongyang has taken some actions, but these actions are still not considered significant steps. U.S. officials have emphasized that extensive sanctions against North Korea will be lifted only when the country abandons its weapons. However, the U.S. President recently stated, "I was really tough in negotiations with Kim Jong-un, and he was too, and our arguments could have continued like that... but then we fell in love. I’m telling the truth. He wrote me beautiful letters, and those letters are great." Despite Kim Jong-un's expressed hope for another meeting with Donald Trump, no specific date or time for this potential meeting or negotiations has been set. Mike Pompeo, the U.S. Secretary of State, did not disclose specific details about his negotiations with the North Korean leader, but he tweeted, "We continue to make progress on the issues agreed upon at the Singapore summit. Thank you for hosting me and my delegation." Mr. Pompeo then traveled to Seoul and discussed with South Korean President Moon Jae-in. During the meeting with Moon, the U.S. Secretary of State described the meeting with the North Korean leader as a "good and efficient negotiation." Pompeo had met with the Japanese Prime Minister before traveling to Pyongyang. After Pyongyang and Seoul, he will go to Beijing to meet with Chinese officials, North Korea's main supporter.