We begin this morning in Washington...
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is optimistic working-level talks with North Korea will resume "very soon".
President Trump's top diplomat also said he hopes there are creative ways to break the current deadlock in the nuclear negotiations.
Lee Seung-jae starts us off.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says he's hopeful working-level talks with Pyeongyang can get underway again "very soon".
Speaking to The Economic Club of Washington D.C. on Monday,... Pompeo also said there are "creative solutions to unlocking" the current impasse in nuclear negotiations in exchange for sanctions relief.
Calling the situation a 'Rubik's Cube',... Pompeo said it's a difficult challenge not only for Washington,... but also for Pyeongyang.
Touching on the possibility of a third summit between President Trump and Kim Jong-un,... Pompeo admitted there's "nothing in the works" at the moment,... signaling working-level talks are first on the agenda.
While the leaders of North Korea and the United States agreed to resume working-level talks when they held a historic meeting at the inter-Korean border a month ago,... Pyeongyang has since warned the resumption of talks will be contingent on whether Seoul and Washington go ahead with joint military exercises set for next month.
Regarding North Korea's recent firing of two short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea,... Pompeo, at the time,... brushed them off as a negotiating tactic and added he anticipates talks will start again.
Pompeo is scheduled to travel to Thailand this week to attend regional meetings led by Southeast Asian states.
While there was speculation he could meet North Korea's Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho in Bangkok,... Ri is reportedly passing on the event.
Calling it "too hypothetical",... Pompeo declined to comment on a scenario where the U.S. would lift sanctions on North Korea as long as the regime didn't build more nuclear weapons.
Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.