(MENAFN- NewsBytes)
Kim demonstrated tremendous capacity to lead North Korea: Pompeo
25 May 2018
Kim Jong-un is not a weak leader and he has shown a tremendous capacity to lead North Korea, said US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo.
Pompeo, who met Kim twice, said his both meetings laid the groundwork for a summit between Kim and President Donald Trump.
Pompeo's statement came after Trump canceled his proposed summit with Kim on June 12 in Singapore.
Here's more.
Trump cancels summit, calls it 'tremendous setback' for North Korea
Meeting canceled
Trump described the cancellation of the summit as "a tremendous setback" for North Korea and warned that US military is ready to act if Pyongyang takes any "foolish-and-reckless" action.
Pompeo said he had above 3-hours meeting with Kim. "When I heard back from him, there was little doubt in my mind that he understood the scope of what we were asking for," he added.
I had a real conversation with Kim, says Pompeo
Fact
"I think we (Pompeo and Kim) were having a real conversation... a real understanding between the two of us. It's what caused me to recommend to the President that... the time would permit us to have a real opportunity to do something historic," Pompeo said.
Pompeo still optimistic about Trump's meeting with Kim
Optimism
Pompeo, however, said he was still optimistic that the US will reach the point.
Trump, who canceled the summit with Kim, attributed this as the changing behavior of Kim and North Korea.
"I don't really know that I want to speculate as to why it is North-Koreans took the actions. What I'm hopeful is to continue to have conversations," Pompeo said.
Deal is about achieving permanent physical change and transformation: Pompeo
The summit
"We talk a lot about summits and deals and the like. It's not about the deal. It's about the outcome. It's about achieving this permanent, physical change and transformation that will have an opportunity to change the world," Pompeo said.
A corollary to that is a fundamental change in North Korea that would lead it to have this opportunity for prosperity, he said.
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