Washington's top diplomat has reiterated that one of the Trump administration's top foreign goal is to achieve the complete denuclearization of North Korea.
Saying he and his team are laser focused on the issue, Mike Pompeo also hit out at previous U.S. administrations,... accusing them of making no progress or even making the situation worse.
Kim Hyo-sun reports.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has once again pledged not to follow the path of previous administrations when it comes to negotiations on North Korea's denuclearization.
He explained that efforts by previous administrations failed and even led to the additional development of the regime's nuclear program.
According to the State Department,... Pompeo made the remarks during an address to the Claremont Institute on Sunday, celebrating the think tank's 40th anniversary.
The top U.S. diplomat stressed that Washington's aim is to make sure the North Korean nuclear file does not have to be opened.
He explained that this is in line with the Trump administration's goal of achieving the regime's complete denuclearization,... so the nuclear issue would not be brought up again.
Pompeo also made it clear that Washington is determined to cooperate fully with South Korea and Japan,... while convincing Russia and China that the move is in the best interest of the international community.
Such remarks are seen as an effort to differentiate the Trump administration from previous governments by opening the window for dialogue despite the regime's latest short-range missile launches as well as the stalled talks between Pyeongyang and Washington.
Meanwhile, former U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates told CBS's "Face the Nation" that he believes the North will never completely denuclearize.
During the interview which aired on Sunday,... Gates said it would be difficult to make progress in denuclearization negotiations with Pyeongyang,... but stressed President Trump took a (quote) "bold stroke" to engage in dialogue with the regime.
Kim Hyo-sun, Arirang News.