America's top diplomat has voiced hope that the leaders of North Korea and U.S. will meet again soon to make a big step towards denuclearization.
Lee Ji-won reports.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has reiterated that it's difficult to put a timeline on North Korea's denuclearization,... explaining that talks with the regime are often (quote) "one step forward, one step back."
During an interview with a Pennsylvania radio station, which aired on Monday,... Pompeo noted President Donald Trump's words that there is no timeline in resolving North Korea's denuclearization.
But he added that the regime is not doing great under the current sanctions,... and that the sanctions will speed up the denuclearization timeline.
Pompeo also indicated he was hopeful President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un would meet again "in the coming months", to achieve a substantial step along the path to denuclearization.
He added that Pyeongyang would be able to enjoy a brighter future once such measures are taken.
The two sides have been at a standstill,... with North Korea saying it wanted a gradual rollback of its nuclear program in exchange for the partial removal of sanctions at each step,... while the U.S. is asking Pyeongyang to take concrete denuclearization steps and provide an overall roadmap in exchange for sanctions relief.
Meanwhile, Washington's cooperation with its allies on the matter continues,... with Seoul and Washington's foreign ministers meeting last week.
The State Department said Monday that the two ministers discussed coordinated efforts to achieve the final, fully verified denuclearization of North Korea,... as well as updating each other on respective engagements with the North.
Praising the enduring strength of their alliance, the two sides also shared their commitment on trilateral cooperation with Japan,... and on their economic ambitions in the Indo-Pacific region.
Lee Ji-won, Arirang News.