US Secretary of State Pompeo arrives in Japan to meet Kim in North Korea

TOKYO – US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in Tokyo on Saturday, where he is expected to meet with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe before traveling to Pyongyang to continue discussions on North Korea's nuclear program and missiles.

Pompeo is expected to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang, as he tries to set the stage for another summit between Kim and President Trump.

"I am optimistic that we will come out with better understanding, more in-depth progress and a plan to come, not only for the summit between the two leaders, but for us to continue efforts to pave the way for denuclearization, "Pompeo told reporters Wednesday.

Speaking in the plane en route to a refueling stopover in Alaska, Pompeo said his mission was to "make sure we understand what each side is actually trying to achieve" and how " each party seeks to address it, and how we can meet the commitments that have been made. "

"Each side must develop sufficient confidence to take the necessary steps to reach the end," he said, adding that he was also trying to organize the next Trump-Kim summit.

"So we hope at least – I doubt we'll get it," but start developing options for where and when for President Kim's next meeting with the president, "he said. Maybe we'll go further than that. "

After a summit between leaders of the two Koreas last month, Kim said he was ready to permanently dismantle his country's main nuclear site in Yongbyon, but only if the US took the necessary steps to build confidence.

At the time, it seemed that meant a declaration officially ending the 1950-53 Korean War, signaling an end to hostilities between the two countries. But in recent days, Pyongyang seems to have increased its demands, indicating that it may also wish to relax sanctions before moving forward.

Pompeo said the sanctions would only be lifted when North Korea completely and verifiably dismantled its nuclear weapons program. Speaking in the air, he refused to let himself be drawn into the details of the negotiations.

Washington reportedly asked North Korea to provide a list of its nuclear facilities and missiles as a next step, but the South Korean government said the North was not ready to meet that demand.

South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha told the Washington Post this week that Seoul thought such a list could trigger a long debate between Pyongyang and Washington over an audit, which would not be conducive to the establishment of a climate of trust.

Instead, she added, Seoul is in favor of a "different approach" in which each party takes "steps" to build confidence, such as dismantling Yongbyon in exchange for US measures, such as the United States. A declaration of end of war.

But North Korea said this week that it may also require a relaxation of sanctions.

In an editorial released on Thursday, Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the Workers' Party of Korea, said the US should not aim to maintain sanctions but to build trust between the two countries "with a sincere attitude".

"The United States has invented sanctions against the DPRK under unreasonable pretexts and is trying to keep them at a time when these pretexts are being suppressed," he wrote, accusing Washington of "brigand and frivolous" misconduct. North Korea is called the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

Washington and Pyongyang, he writes, "kindle a glimmer" of hope for the improvement of bilateral relations. "It is high time for each party to make efforts to build trust."

In Tokyo, Pompeo is also expected to meet with Foreign Minister Taro Kono. He will try to reassure the government that Washington is not about to reach an agreement with Pyongyang that ignores Japan's concerns, particularly with regard to North Korea's short-range missiles.

Pompeo will also travel to Seoul and Beijing after Pyongyang.

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