Pompeo heads to North Korea seeking denuclearization assurance

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is making his third trip to North Korea on Thursday, where he will seek an assurance of denuclearization from leader Kim Jong Un. Pompeo is under pressure to get a commitment from Kim because his visits to Pyongyang have so far resulted in "very little to show," John Hannah, the former senior adviser to President Bill Clinton's secretary of state, told CNN, adding that "it should not happen a third time."

The Trump administration is reportedly considering inviting Kim to New York City for a summit this fall, although intelligence experts quietly believe the unpredictable leader is uninterested in full denuclearization. Kim "is trying to delay denuclearization and do it at his own pace," suggested Bill Richardson, a former U.S. energy secretary.

Subscribe to 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