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Pompeo: 'Progress on agreements' after meeting Kim in N. Korea

By Allen Cone
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo appears with North Koren's leader Kim Jong-un on Sunday in Pyongyang, North Korea. This photo was posted on President Donald Trump's Twitter account.
1 of 2 | Secretary of State Mike Pompeo appears with North Koren's leader Kim Jong-un on Sunday in Pyongyang, North Korea. This photo was posted on President Donald Trump's Twitter account.

Oct. 7 (UPI) -- Secretary of State Mike Pompeo cited "progress on agreements" after meeting with North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un on Sunday.

Pompeo and Kim met privately in Pyongyang for two hours and then at a 90-minute luncheon hosted by the North Korean leader.

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Appearing with Kim in a photo posted on his Twitter account, the top diplomat wrote: "Had a good trip to #Pyongyang to meet with Chairman Kim. We continue to make progress on agreements made at Singapore Summit."

He was referring to the meeting between Kim and President Donald Trump in June in Singapore. Kim said at the time he was committed to "work toward the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula." Trump promised North Korea security guarantees and "new" relations.

Trump later posted on Twitter that Pompeo "had a good meeting with Chairman Kim today in Pyongyang. Progress made on Singapore Summit Agreements! I look forward to seeing Chairman Kim again, in the near future."

He also included three photos of Pompeo and Kim together.

During the luncheon, Pompeo and Kim sat at the same table at the luncheon.

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"It's a very nice day that promises a good future for both countries," Kim said through an interpreter.

Pompeo responded: "We had a great, great visit this morning. President Trump sends his regards. And we had a very successful morning, so thank you."

Pompeo's last trip to North Korea in July did not go well. He did not meet with Kim, and North Korean representatives made "gangster-like" demands and raised "cancerous" issues, according to Pompeo.

He also was supposed to meet with Kim in August, but Trump canceled the trip at the last minute.

North and South Korea leaders met last month to rekindle the peace process.

Pompeo, who has been secretary of state since April, made his fourth visit to Pyongyang.

Later Sunday, Pompeo flew to Seoul where he met South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

"As president Trump said, there are many steps along the way and we took one of them today," he said before the meeting. "It was another step forward. So this is, I think, a good outcome for all of us."

Moon said he hoped they would "make irreversible, decisive progress in terms of denuclearization as well as the peace process."

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Pompeo and Moon also said they hoped a second Trump-Kim summit would happen soon.

Both Koreas have differed with the United States on North Korea's nuclear program.

The United States wants sanctions on North Korea to remain in place until the country completely dismantles its nuclear program.

North and South Korea want a "phased" approach with Pyongyang rewarded as it it happens.

Pompeo plans to visit Beijing on Monday as he concludes his four-nation visit to the region that also included Japan.

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