Pompeo Raises Abduction Issue in Talks with Kim

October 9, 2018

Seoul- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday that he raised the issue of Japanese nationals kidnapped by North Korea at his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un the previous day.

Pompeo made the remark in Seoul to reporters who accompanied him in his latest trip to North Korea, according to an announcement by the U.S. Department of State.

The agreement between U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim reached at their June meeting in Singapore calls for a fundamental change in North Korea's relationship with the rest of the world, Pompeo said.

"There are many issues, including the abductee issue, that will need to be addressed in order to achieve that. And I think Chairman Kim understands that fully," the secretary said.

Pompeo did not say when the next summit between Trump and Kim would take place. But he said both leaders believe "substantive progress" can be made at their next meeting. Jiji Press