Pompeo Confirms Trump-Kim Summit Will Take Place in Asia, Reports Reuters

U.S. Prepares for Second Trump-Kim Summit

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced on Wednesday that a team is being sent to organize preparations for the upcoming summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, scheduled for late February in Asia.

In an interview with Fox News Channel, Pompeo confirmed that North Korea had agreed to the timing of the second summit. "We’ll do it some place in Asia," he stated.

Pompeo continued, "I am dispatching a team there. They’re headed that way now to lay the foundations for what I hope will be a substantial additional step toward the path for not only denuclearization of the peninsula but a brighter future for the North Korean people."

While the exact location for the summit has not been disclosed, Vietnam recently mentioned that it had not received any formal details regarding the time or venue for the meeting, although the country expressed confidence in its ability to host the summit.

Diplomatic sources revealed two weeks ago that Vietnam was interested in hosting the event, and reports suggested that Hanoi was preparing for a potential state visit from Kim.

Other potential locations for the summit, such as Singapore—where the first meeting took place—and Bangkok, have also been discussed.

The inaugural summit last June resulted in a general commitment from Kim to pursue denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, though concrete steps towards this goal have not yet materialized from North Korea, at least from Washington’s perspective.

South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reported that discussions between the two nations will likely center on how the U.S. would respond if North Korea takes steps to dismantle its Yongbyon nuclear facility. During a September inter-Korean summit, Kim indicated a willingness to close Yongbyon in exchange for corresponding actions by the U.S.

Preparatory talks could potentially begin next week, according to Yonhap. Possible U.S. responses could involve discussions aimed at establishing a peace treaty to formally conclude the Korean War, which ended in 1953 with an armistice but no official peace agreement. North Korea has long sought such a treaty.

However, a South Korean official emphasized that easing sanctions on North Korea or resuming economic projects between the two Koreas are not being considered at this time.

Last week, South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha stated that North Korea could demonstrate its commitment to denuclearization by shutting down its Yongbyon facility and permitting international inspections to verify compliance.