America will make no concessions to North Korea, says Pompeo: 'A bad deal is not an option'

The U.S. will not budge in its insistence that North Korea completely denuclearize, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pledged on Wednesday.

Speaking to the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Pompeo said that the U.S. was prepared to "respectfully walk away" from North Korean officials if they demanded too many compromises, reports Reuters.

President Trump is scheduled to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore on June 12, but on Tuesday Trump said there was a "very substantial chance" that the summit would not take place. Other officials expressed doubt about North Korea's commitment, telling The Washington Post that a North Korean delegation didn't show up at a planning meeting with U.S. leaders.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Pompeo was more optimistic, telling lawmakers that the U.S. is still preparing for the meeting with the assumption that Pyongyang will be open to giving up nuclear weapons in exchange for lessened economic sanctions. The U.S. will refuse to kowtow to North Korean wishes, the secretary of state said. "A bad deal is not an option," said Pompeo. "The American people are counting on us to get this right."