Pompeo: Progress made on DPRK's denuclearization

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01:15

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Saturday that he has made progress in Pyongyang on setting a timeline for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s denuclearization, according to a pool report from journalists traveling with him.

Speaking to reporters before leaving DPRK, Pompeo said he spent "a good deal of time" discussing the timeline and declaration of the DPRK's nuclear and missile facilities.

"I think we made progress in every element of our discussions," the secretary said, according to the report.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks to members of the media before boarding his plane at Sunan International Airport in Pyongyang, July 7, 2018. /VCG Photo

The US and DPRK have established working groups for the "nitty gritty stuff" including the validation of efforts to achieve denuclearization, which would be headed on the US side by Sung Kim, a Korean-American who is also ambassador to the Philippines, said US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert.

Nauert said Pompeo had been "very firm" on three basic goals: the complete denuclearization of the DPRK, security assurances, and the repatriation of US remains from the 1950-53 Korean War.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (L) speaks to Kim Yong Chol, a DPRK senior ruling party official, for a second day of talks at the Park Hwa Guest House in Pyongyang, July 7, 2018. /VCG Photo

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in Pyongyang on Friday in his third visit to the country to hammer out details regarding the denuclearization process on the Korean Peninsula.

At his first night in the DPRK capital in three visits so far this year, Pompeo made a secure phone call and updated US President Donald Trump on the talks. US national security adviser John Bolton and White House chief of staff John Kelly were also on Pompeo’s briefing call.

Pompeo reiterated that Trump was "committed to a brighter future" for the DPRK.

"So the work that we do, the path toward complete denuclearization, building a relationship between our two countries, is vital for a brighter North Korea (DPRK) and the success that our two presidents demand of us,” Pompeo said.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (back R) and DPRK director of the United Front Department, Kim Yong Chol (front C) arrive for a meeting at the Park Hwa Guest House in Pyongyang, July 6, 2018. /VCG Photo

Pompeo also discussed the repatriation of the remains of American soldiers killed in the Korean War with Kim Yong Chol, a senior DPRK official and top aide to DPRK leader Kim Jong Un.

Pompeo and Kim Yong Chol both played key roles in arranging the historic meeting between Trump and Kim Jong Un in Singapore last month.

The US State Department says pressure will remain until the DPRK denuclearizes, but in statements this week, redefined the US goal as "the final, fully verified denuclearization of (the DPRK) as agreed to by Chairman Kim."

DPRK military members salute on the roadside when Pompeo visited Pyongyang, July 6, 2018. /VCG Photo

Pompeo had expressed Trump's optimism while en route to the DPRK.

"The President told me he believes that Chairman Kim sees a different, brighter future for the people of North Korea (DPRK). We both hope that's true," Pompeo said on Twitter.

Pompeo left Pyongyang for Tokyo at 4:26 p.m. local time (0726 GMT). He is due to meet officials from the Republic of Korea and Japan in Tokyo on Sunday.

(With input from wires)

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