U.S. Secretary of State: North Korea Should Accept Nuclear Disarmament, We Will Help Its Economy

Mike Pompeo, the U.S. Secretary of State, stated on Friday, May 11, that if North Korea accepts nuclear disarmament, the United States is ready to assist the country in improving its economic situation. According to Reuters, Pompeo, who is on the verge of a historic meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, said that if leader Kim Jong-un takes the right path and boldly accepts immediate nuclear disarmament, the U.S. is prepared to work with the country to achieve prosperity like its friends in South Korea. Speaking at a press conference with his South Korean counterpart in Washington, Pompeo noted that the United States has a clear record of helping the people of Korea. Pompeo, who returned three American prisoners from North Korea this week, mentioned that the release of the prisoners has laid the groundwork for a successful meeting between the leaders of the two countries on June 12 in Singapore. The U.S. Secretary of State stated that he has had good and serious negotiations with Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang, and both sides are aware of the ultimate goal of the upcoming summit between the U.S. and North Korea. This is Pompeo's second meeting with the North Korean leader in the past six weeks. Pompeo remarked that they had good and serious discussions regarding deep and complex issues, the challenges, the strategic decision that leader Kim faces, and the realization of his wishes. He emphasized that if North Korea is ready for complete nuclear disarmament, the U.S. is also ready to provide necessary guarantees to the country. He further stated that the U.S. goal is very clear: North Korea should not have the capability to use nuclear weapons to threaten the U.S. and the world. However, Pompeo stressed that North Korea's nuclear disarmament requires robust verification. Relations between North Korea and the U.S. and its allies, which had been in serious crisis for months, have recently calmed down, and both sides have turned to diplomatic means for de-escalation. On Thursday, Donald Trump, regarding the prospect of reaching an agreement with North Korea, mentioned Kim Jong-un, saying, 'I think he wants to get to work and bring his country back to the real world.' The U.S. President stated that he intends to discuss the dismantling of nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula with North Korea. In this regard, the leaders of the U.S. and North Korea will meet on June 12 in Singapore.