Trump: I Asked Pompeo Not to Go to North Korea for Now

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, announced on Friday, August 24, the cancellation of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's trip to North Korea. This comes as Mike Pompeo had announced the day before during the introduction of Stephen Biegun as the U.S. Special Representative for North Korea that he would travel to Pyongyang next week. Trump cited the lack of significant progress in negotiations with North Korea regarding the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula as the reason for this decision. In a tweet, Trump stated: 'I asked Secretary of State Mike Pompeo not to go to North Korea at this time, as I feel we are not making sufficient progress on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.' Meanwhile, Sarah Sanders, the White House spokesperson, mentioned that Trump and Pompeo met on Friday morning. The U.S. President also criticized China's approach to the denuclearization process in another tweet. Trump wrote that due to the U.S.'s tough stance on trade with China, he believes the Chinese are not helping with the denuclearization process, despite being part of the ongoing UN sanctions against North Korea. In another tweet, Trump noted that Secretary Pompeo is eager to visit North Korea soon, likely after resolving trade issues with China. Economic relations between China and the U.S. are currently facing tensions due to increased import tariffs and retaliatory measures from Beijing. Trump added, 'However, I would like to send my warmest regards and respect to Chairman Kim. I look forward to meeting him soon!' After his meeting with Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, in Singapore last June, Trump stated that Kim had promised to dismantle a major ballistic missile testing site soon. North Korea accused the U.S. in mid-August of continuing to impose international sanctions despite actions indicating Pyongyang's 'goodwill.' The North Korean leadership stated that if Washington continues its 'outdated methods,' there will be no progress in denuclearization. Meanwhile, U.S. officials have emphasized that the lifting of sanctions against North Korea will only occur if the country completely abandons its nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction. John Bolton, the U.S. National Security Advisor, stated on August 7 that despite agreements between Trump and the North Korean leader in June, Pyongyang has not yet taken the necessary steps for denuclearization. In an interview with Reuters on Monday, Trump said, 'Very good things are happening with respect to North Korea.' However, he criticized China for taking fewer actions in this regard compared to the past.