Pompeo: The Meeting Between Trump and Kim Depends on the North Korean Leader

Mike Pompeo, the U.S. Secretary of State, said on Wednesday, May 23, that he is "very hopeful" that the summit between the U.S. and North Korean leaders will take place as scheduled next month, although he completely attributed the fate of the meeting to Kim Jong Un's decision. According to the Associated Press, Mr. Pompeo stated during a session of the House Foreign Affairs Committee that the decision regarding the summit, which is set to be held on June 12 in Singapore, "ultimately depends on Mr. Kim." This session follows Donald Trump's remarks on Tuesday, indicating that "there is a very good chance" that the meeting may not occur as planned. Pompeo, who has met with Kim Jong Un twice since early April, expressed hope that during the meeting between Trump and Kim, "we can convince North Korea to make a strategic change that best serves its interests and that they accept that nuclear programs are not what sustains that regime but rather something that hinders the country's economic success." The U.S. Secretary of State mentioned that he raised the issue of human rights in his discussions with the North Korean leader and that "this topic will be part of future negotiations." In response to lawmakers' questions about whether human rights would be part of a potential agreement, Mr. Pompeo stated, "We currently only know the general frameworks regarding the commitments that the two countries will accept." The Associated Press adds that Trump's recent doubts about holding this historic summit reflect a lack of progress in plans to resolve the conflict between the two Koreas and uncertainties regarding the U.S. President's success in reaching a nuclear agreement with North Korea. South Korean President Moon Jae-in said on Tuesday during a meeting with Donald Trump at the White House, "The fate and future of the Korean Peninsula are at stake." Trump also stated, without going into details, that the North Korean leader has not met the "preconditions" for holding this summit, but he added that he believes Kim Jong Un is "serious" about negotiations. The South Korean President also expressed great confidence in Trump's abilities to hold this summit and establish peace. Trump added that he does not intend to commit himself to an immediate or phased halt of North Korea's nuclear programs, although he stated, "It would be better if it happened all at once. But for practical reasons, it may not be exactly that way." The U.S. President said, "This meeting may not take place on June 12, but it is likely to happen." He did not elaborate on the preconditions that, according to him, the North Korean leader has yet to fulfill but emphasized that if the preconditions are not met, "the meeting will not take place." Following the halt of negotiations between North and South Korea due to Pyongyang's objections to the continuation of joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises, doubts about the possibility of a meeting between Trump and Kim Jong Un have increased. Meanwhile, North Korea has threatened that due to the U.S. insistence on an immediate halt to its nuclear activities, it may cancel the meeting between the two leaders.