WASHINGTON, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said here on Wednesday that he is optimistic that the upcoming talks with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) will have better understandings and deeper progress.
Speaking at a press briefing, Pompeo aid "I'm very happy to be going back to get another chance to continue to advance the commitment that Chairman Kim and President Trump made back in Singapore."
"I'm optimistic that we'll come away from that with better understandings, deeper -- deeper progress, and a plan forward, not only for the summit between the two leaders, but for us to continue the efforts to build out a pathway for denuclearization," he said.
When asked if there is any timeframe for the DPRK's denuclearization, Pompeo said "We want it fast but we're not going to play the time game."
"This is a long-term problem. This has been outstanding for decades. We've made more progress than has been made in an awfully long time and, importantly, we've done so in a condition which continues to give us the opportunity to achieve the final goal," he said.
Saying that the U.S. sanctions on the Asian nation will continue in place, he noted that "my efforts this week will be one more step along the way toward achieving what the U.N. Security Council has directed the North Koreans to do."
U.S. State Department said Tuesday that Pompeo will travel to the DPRK for further talks concerning the country's denuclearization, and meet with DPRK's top leader, Kim Jong Un, on Sunday.
Pompeo would also travel to Japan, South Korea and China on Oct. 6-8 to brief them about his visit.
The DPRK on Saturday demanded the United States take steps to secure Pyongyang's trust before its denuclearization.
"Without any trust in the U.S. there will be no confidence in our national security and under such circumstances there is no way we will unilaterally disarm ourselves first," DPRK's Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho told the UN General Assembly.
The key to consolidating peace and security on the Korean Peninsula is to thoroughly implement the joint statement adopted at the historic summit between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump in Singapore in June, said Ri.
Speaking before a meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in New York recently, Trump announced that himself and Kim will hold a second summit "in the not too distant future."
In his speech at the UN General Assembly, Trump thanked Kim "for his courage and for the steps he has taken." But he added that much work remains to be done and that the sanctions against the DPRK will stay in place "until denuclearization occurs."
