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A2 UP FRONT
Friday 1 June 2018
North Koreans to meet Trump; ‘good progress’ toward summit

By MATTHEW LEE and JOSH chief Kim Yong Chol. “Our “We will push forward to
LEDERMAN two countries face a pivot- test the proposition that
Associated Press al moment in our relation- we can achieve that out-
NEW YORK (AP) — A top ship, and it would be noth- come,” he said.
aide to Kim Jong Un will ing short of tragic to let this Pompeo spoke after meet-
make a rare visit to Wash- opportunity go to waste.” ing with Kim Yong Chol for
ington Friday to hand a let- He would not say that the a little more than two hours
ter from the North Korean summit is a definite go for at the residence of the
leader to President Donald Singapore on June 12 and deputy U.S. ambassador
Trump, Secretary of State could not say if that deci- to the United Nations. The
Mike Pompeo said after re- sion would be made af- talks had been expected
porting “good progress” in ter Trump reads Kim Jong to be held in two sessions,
talks between the two sides Un’s letter. However, his one in the morning and
to revive an on-again, off- comments were the most one in the early afternoon,
again nuclear summit. positive from any U.S. of- and had not been expect-
“I am confident we are ficial since Trump abruptly ed to conclude until 1:30
moving in the right direc- canceled the meeting p.m. Instead, the two men
tion,” Pompeo told report- last week after belligerent wrapped up at 11:25 a.m.
ers at a news conference statements from the North. Pompeo said they finished
in New York after meeting The two countries, eying everything they needed
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during a news
conference, Thursday, May 31, 2018, in New York. Thursday with former North the first summit between to address in the morning
Associated Press Korean military intelligence the U.S. and the North af- session. Immediately after-
ter six decades of hostility, ward, he tweeted that he
have also been holding had had substantive talks
negotiations in Singapore on the priorities for the po-
and the demilitarized zone tential summit. Pompeo
between the two Koreas. was accompanied by An-
Early Thursday, Trump told drew Kim, the head of a
reporters “we are doing CIA unit assigned to work
very well” with North Ko- on North Korea, and Mark
rea. He added there may Lambert, the head of the
even need to be a second State Department’s Korea
or third summit meeting to desk.
reach a deal on North Ko- “It is all a process,” he said
rean denuclearization but of arranging the summit.
still hedged, saying “may- “Hopefully we will have a
be we’ll have none.” meeting on the 12th.”
Kim Yong Chol is the high- Despite the upbeat mes-
est-ranking North Korean saging in the United States,
official to visit the U.S. in 18 Kim Jong Un, in a meeting
years, and his trip to the with Russia’s foreign min-
White House will be a highly ister on Thursday, com-
symbolic sign of easing ten- plained about the U.S. try-
sions after fears of war es- ing to spread its influence
calated amid North Korean in the region, a comment
nuclear and missile tests last that may complicate the
year.Pompeo, the former summit plans. “As we move
CIA chief who has traveled to adjust to the political
to North Korea and met situation in the face of U.S.
with Kim Jong Un twice in hegemonism, I am willing
the past two months, said to exchange detailed and
he believed the country’s in-depth opinions with your
leaders are “contemplat- leadership and hope to do
ing a path forward where so moving forward,” Kim
they can make a strategic told Sergey Lavrov.
shift, one that their country North Korea’s flurry of diplo-
has not been prepared to matic activity following an
make before.” increase in nuclear weap-
He tweeted from New York: ons and missile tests in 2017
“Good progress today dur- suggests that Kim is eager
ing our meetings” with Kim for sanctions relief to build
and his team. his economy and for the
Yet he also said at his news international legitimacy a
conference that difficult summit with Trump would
work remains including hur- provide.
dles that may appear to But there are lingering
be insurmountable as ne- doubts on whether he
gotiations progress on the will ever fully relinquish his
U.S. demand for North Ko- nuclear arsenal, which he
rea’s complete, verifiable may see as his only guar-
and irreversible denuclear- antee of survival in a region
ization. surrounded by enemies.q