Interview
Michael R. Pompeo
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
February 24, 2019
SECRETARY POMPEO: [we] built out a coalition, an enormous global coalition we built out through the United Nations, to put that pressure in place to allow us to begin to have what have been real negotiations over the past now six or seven months. I am hopeful that when President Trump and Chairman Kim get together they’ll make a big step towards realizing what Chairman Kim promised. He promised he’d denuclearize. We hope he’ll make a big step towards that in the week ahead.
SECRETARY POMPEO: remember the core sanctions, the core UN Security Council resolution sanctions, we’ve said consistently full, verified denuclearization – that’s the standard for relieving those sanctions. That policy has not changed since – I think since the day President Trump took office.
SECRETARY POMPEO: We’ve made it very plain to Chairman Kim the alternative to giving up his nuclear weapons is remaining a pariah state, remaining a nation that is unable to trade, unable to grow, unable to take care of its own people. We’ve made the argument that it would be far better, far better for Chairman Kim himself, his senior leadership, all of the people for North Korea. And we have also told them there’ll be real opportunities, that countries from around the world will come, make his economy one that looks more like South Korea’s economy than the one that exists in North Korea today. Those are the kinds of things. I’ve had these conversations.