Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says the U.S. policy of seeking total and “verified denuclearization” of North Korea won’t change if the isolated nation’s young dictator, Kim Jong-un, is replaced by a new leader anytime soon.
Mr. Pompeo made the assertion at a press conference Wednesday as rumors that Mr. Kim’s may be gravely ill continued to swirl following his disappearance from public view for the past several weeks.
While South Korean officials claim the rumors are inaccurate, saying Mr. Kim is likely keeping a low profile to avoid exposure to the new coronavirus, U.S. officials have remained noncommittal in their comments on his status.
President Trump suggested Monday there may be classified intelligence on Mr. Kim.
“I do have a very good idea, but I can’t talk about it now,” the president told reporters when asked what he knows of Mr. Kim’s health.
“I do know how he’s doing, relatively speaking,” Mr. Trump said. “We will see. You will probably be hearing in the not-too-distant future.”
Mr. Pompeo suggested Wednesday that U.S. officials may be in the dark on Mr. Kim’s status.
“We haven’t seen him,” the secretary of state told Fox News on Wednesday morning according to Reuters. “We don’t have any information to report today. We’re watching it closely.”
“I don’t have anything to add to the status of Chairman Kim,” Mr. Pompeo said later during a press briefing at State Department headquarters.
He went on to suggest that U.S. officials would continue to pursue diplomacy and negotiations with whatever North Korean officials take control in Pyongyang should Mr. Kim no longer be the country’s leader.
“We did have a chance to interact with a number of North Koreans on our various trips, the ones that I took,” said Mr. Pompeo, who traveled personally to Pyongyang during the early years of the Trump administration to pursue talks with the Kim regime.
He added that Mr. Trump also met several North Korean officials during his summits with Mr. Kim, first in Singapore in 2018 and then in Hanoi in 2019.
“We’ve had a chance to meet Chairman Kim’s sister and some of the other leaders there as well,” Mr. Pompeo said, referring to Kim Yo-jong, the younger sister of Mr. Kim who is rumored to be in position to take over as leader should the North Korean dictator die.
“Our mission is the same, regardless of what transpires inside of North Korea with respect to their leadership,” Mr. Pompeo said. “Our mission … is to deliver on the agreement that Chairman Kim made with President Trump back in Singapore and that’s the fully denuclearized, verified denuclearization of North Korea.”
“We are still hopeful that we’ll find a path to negotiate that solution to get the outcome that is good for the American people, good for the North Korean people and the whole world,” the secretary of state said. “Our mission simply won’t change, no matter what should transpire there.”
