U.S. President Donald Trump will only seek another summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un if "real progress" is expected on Pyongyang's denuclearization, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday.
"The North Koreans have given mixed signals. But the truth is President Trump only wants to engage in a summit if we believe there's a sufficient likelihood that we can make real progress in achieving the outcomes that were set forth in Singapore," Pompeo said at a virtual event, referring to the first-ever U.S.-North Korea summit in 2018.
During the Singapore meeting, Trump promised to provide security guarantees to Pyongyang in return for "complete" denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
Trump and Kim have since met twice, but no substantial progress has been seen over the negotiations amid a gap between Washington's denuclearization demands and Pyongyang's calls for sanctions relief.
Pompeo said he believes that "North Koreans have chosen at this point in time not to engage in a way that can lead to a potential solution," while adding, "We hope they'll change their mind."
On the other hand, he said there have been accomplishments through the summit diplomacy, citing a halt in North Korea's long-range missile firing and nuclear testing. The last time North Korea carried out a nuclear test was September 2017.
The North Korean leader's sister and close aide Kim Yo Jong said last week that another summit is unlikely to take place this year unless Washington changes its stance toward Pyongyang, a possible indication that the reclusive country may be waiting to see whether Trump remains in the White House after November's presidential election.
The United States and North Korea technically remain in a state of war after the 1950-1953 Korean War ended in a cease-fire. The two countries do not maintain diplomatic relations.
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