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US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo holds a press conference at the US State Department on Aug. 7. (Reuters/Yonhap News)
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US secretary of state indicates resumption of dialogue after end of joint military exercises
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Aug. 7 that the US is planning to hold working-level negotiations with North Korea within two weeks and denied that the North’s recent missile launches would be an impediment to resuming negotiations. Following a meeting with British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab at the US State Department on Wednesday, Pompeo told a reporter that he didn’t think North Korea’s missile launches were “dampening the environment” for dialogue between the two countries. When another reporter asked whether North Korea’s missile launches were becoming an “acceptable new normal,” Pompeo said, “President Trump’s and this Administration’s strategy with respect to North Korea haven’t changed. Our effort is to achieve the full, final denuclearization of North Korea.” “We are hopeful that in the coming weeks we’ll get back to the negotiating table to achieve that,” Pompeo said, later adding, “We are planning for negotiations in a couple of weeks and we anticipate the two teams getting back together.” Pompeo’s mention of “two weeks” tellingly coincides with the end of joint military exercises between South Korea and the US that began on Aug. 5 and will wrap up toward the end of the month. His remarks appear to mean that the US is working behind the scenes to resume working-level talks with North Korea after the conclusion of those exercises. Pompeo addressed North Korea’s repeated missile launches as follows: “We watch [. . .] the actions that are taking place inside of North Korea, and we are mindful that when we came in, [. . .] there was nuclear testing taking place. That has not occurred. There aren’t long-range missiles being fired. Those are both good things.” These remarks reflect US President Donald Trump’s continued tolerance of short-range missiles while reconfirming commitment to dialogue with the North. By Hwang Joon-bum, Washington correspondent Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]
