'N. Korea's denuclearization is not about trust, but verification,' Pompeo says

'N. Korea's denuclearization is not about trust, but verification,' Pompeo says. March. 21, 2019 07:46. lightee@donga.com.
U.S. high ranking officials continue to warn and urge North Korea, which has announced that it is considering suspending denuclearization talks, to give up nuclear ambitions. Meanwhile, Washington is also expanding its action to induce international cooperation to implement economic sanctions on North Korea.

“There is deep distrust between the two countries. We need to watch and see North Korean leader Kim Jong Un actually fulfill his promise,” U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said at an interview with a local press in Kansas on Tuesday.” When asked how he would believe Kim to be truthful in negotiations, Pompeo replied that “it would be a matter of verification, rather than trust.”

He also said that the North Korean leader promised denuclearization for a brighter future for the North Korean people and peace on the Korean Peninsula, adding that it would be a long way to go, but Washington continues to develop the progress.

U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton was much more pressuring. In an interview with Fox Business, he said that “if North Korea reopens nuclear missile tests, it will have a real impact on President Trump.” He stressed that President Trump would be “very, very disappointed” and reminded that suspension of nuclear and missile testing were repeated promises made by Kim at summit talks.

Meanwhile, Time reported that Trump is controlling the reins of the denuclearization negotiations, by obstructing plans by U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun behind-the-scenes negotiations. Following his meeting with officials of permanent UNSC members at the UN headquarters in New York last week, Biegun discussed issues Tuesday with foreign relations and securities officials from Britain, France and Germany. Radio Free Asia reported that Britain and Germany were “actively in support for a complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization.”