Pompeo voices confidence for another Trump-Kim summit

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday that he is confident that there will be a third meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un.

Pompeo made the remarks in an interview with the CBS TV network. He did not specify on any concrete timetable about the next meeting, only saying that he hopes it could occur soon.

"We came out of Hanoi with a deeper understanding of each other, the positions that the two sides had. The two leaders were able to make progress in that respect," he added.

The top U.S. diplomat also noted that the diplomatic channels are still open between Washington and Pyongyang.

The DPRK-U.S. talks on the Korean peninsula denuclearization have advanced little after the second summit between Kim and Trump in late February in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi ended without an agreement.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who is scheduled to visit Washington next week, said Monday that Pyongyang and Washington have shown their determination to continue the dialogue by managing situations stably so as not to increase tensions as seen in the past.

Earlier last month, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lu Kang said at a press conference that no one should expect the Korean Peninsula issue to be resolved in just one day, and the key is to take into account the legitimate concerns of all parties in a balanced way and consolidate mutual trust and gradually gather consensus.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)