US, NK set to move onto next stage for denuclearization

By Yi Whan-woo

The United States and North Korea are geared toward resuming dialogue as a follow-up to the summit between their leaders in Singapore, June 12, on Pyongyang's denuclearization.

The Financial Times reported Thursday that U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will visit North Korea next week.

The possible visit will come amid criticism that a joint declaration issued by U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in the Singapore summit lacks concrete details and therefore supplementary steps are necessary for complete denuclearization.

Pompeo will be the highest U.S. official to make contact with the North after the summit. The U.S. Department of State did not confirm his possible Pyongyang trip.

"My guess is, working-level officials of the two countries already have discussed and reached a consensus on visible steps to build mutual trust following the summit," Kim Hyun-wook, a professor at Korea National Diplomatic Academy, said Friday. "Pompeo would not have planned to visit Pyongyang otherwise."

A possible measure for the sake of the U.S. may be returning the remains of American soldiers killed during the 1950-53 Korean War, a military official, who asked not to be named, said.

The official referred to the joint declaration announced by Trump and Kim. It stated the U.S. and North Korea are committed to recovering remains prisoners of war and missing in action.

"Thousands of U.S. soldiers are still believed to be buried in North Korea and Pompeo may bring back their remains when he visits Pyongyang this time," the official said.

A different official agreed, pointing out the U.S. Forces Korea sent 30 vehicles carrying over 150 caskets to the Demilitarized Zone early this week.

"It apparently is a preparatory measure to implement the Trump-Kim declaration," the official said.

Some other sources speculated that Pompeo may reaffirm the U.S. plan to scale down joint military exercises with the South Korea and to assure the Kim regime's survival.

The North has denounced the joint drill as a "rehearsal of invasion" and a reason to build a nuclear arsenal.

Downsizing the combined drills was not included on the joint declaration. But Trump said the U.S. military will stop them during a press conference after the summit.

He also said Kim was "already destroying" a missile site, in addition to demolishing its nuclear test site in Punggye-ri before the summit.

The Trump administration last week identified the site as the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground in Cholsan County, North Pyongyan Province.

"It is apparent that North, in return for destroying its nuclear and ballistic missile sites, will want the U.S. to take corresponding measures. And reaffirming the U.S. plan to downsize combined drills will be the least Pompeo can do," Professor Kim said.

Meanwhile, Pompeo said Wednesday he was confident that North Korea understood the scope of the U.S. desire for complete denuclearization as discussed between Trump and Kim.