SINGAPORE (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho shook hands and exchanged words and smiles at a Southeast Asian security forum on Saturday in Singapore.

Pompeo said before the brief encounter during a group photo session at the Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN) regional forum that he had not held talks with Ri during his visit to Singapore.

Pompeo, who has been leading the U.S. negotiating in efforts to get North Korea to denuclearize, said earlier the process of ending the North’s nuclear program would take time but that he was optimistic that it would happen.</s>US warns Russia, others on enforcing North Korea sanctions

SINGAPORE (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned Russia, China and other countries on Saturday against any violation of international sanctions on North Korea that could reduce pressure on the North to abandon its nuclear weapons.

Speaking on the sidelines of an Asian security forum in Singapore, Pompeo told reporters that the U.S. has new, credible reports that Russia is violating U.N. sanctions by allowing joint ventures with North Korean companies and issuing new permits for North Korean guest workers. He said Washington would take "very seriously" any violations, and called for them to be roundly condemned and reversed.

"If these reports prove accurate, and we have every reason to believe that they are, that would be in violation," Pompeo said, noting that the U.N. Security Council had voted unanimously in favor of the sanctions. "I want to remind every nation that has supported these resolutions that this is a serious issue and something we will discuss with Moscow."

"We expect the Russians and all countries to abide to the U.N. Security Council resolutions and enforce sanctions on North Korea," he said. "Any violation that detracts from the world's goal of finally, fully denuclearizing North Korea would be something that America would take very seriously."

Late Friday, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley raised similar concerns, saying that "talk is cheap." ''Russia cannot support sanctions with their words in the Security Council only to violate them with their actions," she said in a statement. She made her comments as the U.S. asked the Security Council to add a North Korean bank executive, a North Korean company, a Chinese company and a Russian bank to the U.N. sanctions blacklist.

In his discussions with Southeast Asian officials in Singapore, Pompeo said he had implored them all to "strictly enforce all sanctions," including an end to ship-to-ship transfers of oil for North Korea, and had been encouraged by the response.

Despite the warning to Russia, Pompeo said he remained optimistic that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will follow through on his pledge to President Donald Trump to denuclearize. But he said the timeline for the North's full and final denuclearization remains a work in progress.

Earlier, in an interview with a Singapore's Channel News Asia, Pompeo had said the pace for the dismantlement of the North's nuclear weapons program would rest with Kim. "The ultimate timeline for denuclearization will be set by Chairman Kim, at least in part," he said. "The decision is his."

At the news conference, however, Pompeo appeared to step back from that comment, noting that the timeline is subject to negotiation between Washington and Pyongyang. He recalled that Kim had committed to denuclearization at the historic summit with Trump on June 12 in Singapore and that both sides "have been working since then to develop the process through which that will be achieved."

"The process of achieving denuclearization of the Korean peninsula is one that I think we have all known will take some time," Pompeo said, adding later: "I am optimistic that we will get this done in a timeline and the world will celebrate what the U.N. Security Council has demanded."

Pompeo said on Friday that while there's "still a ways to go," the United States remains "confident" in North Korea's commitment to denuclearize.

On Thursday, the White House announced that Trump had received a new letter from Kim and had responded quickly with a letter of his own. The correspondence came amid fresh concerns over Pyongyang's commitment to denuclearization despite a rosy picture of progress painted by Trump.

Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report.</s>US warns Russia, others on enforcing North Korea sanctions

SINGAPORE (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned Russia, China and other countries on Saturday against any violation of international sanctions on North Korea that could reduce pressure on the North to abandon its nuclear weapons. Pompeo's comments came on the heels of a new United Nations report that found North Korea has not stopped its nuclear and missile programs and is violating U.N. sanctions, including through illicit ship-to-ship transfers of oil.

Speaking on the sidelines of an Asian security forum in Singapore, Pompeo told reporters that the U.S. has new, credible reports that Russia is violating U.N. sanctions by allowing joint ventures with North Korean companies and issuing new permits for North Korean guest workers. He said Washington would take "very seriously" any violations, and called for them to be roundly condemned and reversed.

"If these reports prove accurate, and we have every reason to believe that they are, that would be in violation," Pompeo said, noting that the U.N. Security Council had voted unanimously in favor of the sanctions. "I want to remind every nation that has supported these resolutions that this is a serious issue and something we will discuss with Moscow."

"We expect the Russians and all countries to abide to the U.N. Security Council resolutions and enforce sanctions on North Korea," he said. "Any violation that detracts from the world's goal of finally, fully denuclearizing North Korea would be something that America would take very seriously."

Later Saturday, during a group photo of the ASEAN Regional Forum ministerial meeting, Pompeo went to greet North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho. They shook hands and briefly exchanged smiles and a few words. Pompeo then went back to his place.

At the United Nations, a summary of a report by experts monitoring U.N. sanctions against North Korea was sent to the Security Council on Friday that said North Korea is continuing with both its nuclear and missile programs. And, in addition to the oil transfers, it said the North was violating sanctions by transferring coal at sea and flouting an arms embargo and financial sanctions.

Late Friday, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley raised the alarm, saying that "talk is cheap." ''Russia cannot support sanctions with their words in the Security Council only to violate them with their actions," she said in a statement. She made the remarks as the U.S. asked the Security Council to add a North Korean bank executive, a North Korean company, a Chinese company and a Russian bank to the U.N. sanctions blacklist.

In his discussions with Southeast Asian officials in Singapore, Pompeo said he had implored them all to "strictly enforce all sanctions," including an end to ship-to-ship transfers of oil for North Korea, and had been encouraged by the response.

Despite the warning to Russia, Pompeo said he remained optimistic that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will follow through on his pledge to President Donald Trump to denuclearize. But he said the timeline for the North's full and final denuclearization remains a work in progress.

Earlier, in an interview with a Singapore's Channel News Asia, Pompeo had said the pace for the dismantlement of the North's nuclear weapons program would rest with Kim. "The ultimate timeline for denuclearization will be set by Chairman Kim, at least in part," he said. "The decision is his."

At the news conference, however, Pompeo appeared to step back from that comment, noting that the timeline is subject to negotiation between Washington and Pyongyang. He recalled that Kim had committed to denuclearization at the historic summit with Trump on June 12 in Singapore and that both sides "have been working since then to develop the process through which that will be achieved."

"The process of achieving denuclearization of the Korean peninsula is one that I think we have all known will take some time," Pompeo said, adding later: "I am optimistic that we will get this done in a timeline and the world will celebrate what the U.N. Security Council has demanded."

Pompeo said on Friday that while there's "still a ways to go," the United States remains "confident" in North Korea's commitment to denuclearize.

On Thursday, the White House announced that Trump had received a new letter from Kim and had responded quickly with a letter of his own. The correspondence came amid fresh concerns over Pyongyang's commitment to denuclearization despite a rosy picture of progress painted by Trump.

Associated Press writer Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report.</s>US SECRETARY OF State Mike Pompeo has called for pressure to be maintained on North Korea as a UN report warned Pyongyang is circumventing tough sanctions imposed over its nuclear weapons programme.

In Singapore ahead of a major security forum, Pompeo said he had urged other countries to strictly enforce United Nations sanctions against North Korea, which reports suggest has made slow progress towards disarmament following a landmark June summit.

The US’s top diplomat said he had “emphasized the importance of maintaining diplomatic and economic pressure on North Korea to achieve the final, fully verified denuclearisation that DPRK has agreed to,” using the initials of the North’s official name.

“I must say from my meetings here, the world is united in seeing this achieved,” Pompeo told a press conference.

“We’re determined to do it, Chairman Kim is committed to doing it. I’m optimistic that we will get this done.”

His comments came as a UN report said yesterday that North Korea has resorted to a “massive increase” of illegal ship-to-ship transfers of oil products at sea to evade sanctions.

The 62-page report sent to the Security Council also listed violations of a ban on North Korean exports including coal, iron and seafood that generate millions of dollars in revenue for the reclusive regime.

Pompeo has met with the foreign ministers of China and South Korea in Singapore, as well as with his Southeast Asian counterparts.

His North Korean counterpart, Ri Yong Ho, is also in the city-state for the ASEAN Regional Forum, which takes place later in the day. But Pompeo said he was yet to meet with him on the sidelines of the gathering.

At the summit with US President Donald Trump in June, the North’s leader Kim Jong Un signed up to a vague commitment to “denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula” – a far cry from long-standing US demands for complete, verifiable and irreversible disarmament.

While there have been small signs of progress since the summit, news reports indicate Pyongyang is continuing to build rockets and there have been concerns that some member states are relaxing the enforcement of sanctions on the North.

Pompeo said the US was “heartened” by Pyongyang’s recent return of the remains of dozens of American soldiers killed during the Korean War, but warned that Washington would take the infringement of sanctions by other countries “very seriously”.

“We have seen reports that Russia is allowing for joint ventures with North Korean firms and granting new work permits to North Korean guest workers,” Pompeo said.

“If these reports are proven accurate and we have every reason to believe that they are, that would be in violation” of UN sanctions, he added.

Today’s forum, hosted by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), brings together top diplomats from 26 countries and the European Union for talks on political and security issues in the Asia-Pacific.

The foreign ministers from all nations involved in stalled “six-party” negotiations with North Korea aimed at reining in Pyongyang’s nuclear programme will be at the gathering: China, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the US.

Cutting off oil and fuel to the North would require enforcement primarily by China, which supplies most of North Korea’s energy needs, but also by Russia, which delivers some oil to Pyongyang.

Pompeo said that during his meetings in Singapore, he called for countries to “strictly enforce all sanctions including the complete shutdown of illegal ship-to-ship transfers of petroleum”.

He added in a tweet that his discussions on North Korea with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi sent “a strong signal to the region that, despite differences, #China & the US can work together to get important work done”.

Wang also met with the North’s Ri in Singapore and praised Pyongyang’s “efforts in promoting the denuclearisation process”, China’s official Xinhua news agency said.

After attending the Singapore meeting, North Korea’s Ri will head to Iran for an official visit, according to North Korea’s official news agency KCNA.

Iran, whose nuclear drive has also sparked international alarm, and North Korea are reported to have a history of cooperation in military and missile technology.</s>SINGAPORE (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned Russia, China and other countries on Saturday against any violation of international sanctions on North Korea that could reduce pressure on the North to abandon its nuclear weapons. Pompeo's comments came on the heels of a new United Nations report that found North Korea has not stopped its nuclear and missile programs and is violating U.N. sanctions, including through illicit ship-to-ship transfers of oil.

North Korea quickly shot back at Washington, with Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho saying that recent moves by the U.S. are "alarming." Ri and Pompeo both made their comments at an Asian security forum in Singapore.

Speaking on the sidelines of the forum, Pompeo told reporters that the U.S. has new, credible reports that Russia is violating U.N. sanctions by allowing joint ventures with North Korean companies and issuing new permits for North Korean guest workers. He said Washington would take "very seriously" any violations, and called for them to be roundly condemned and reversed.

"If these reports prove accurate, and we have every reason to believe that they are, that would be in violation," Pompeo said, noting that the U.N. Security Council had voted unanimously in favor of the sanctions. "I want to remind every nation that has supported these resolutions that this is a serious issue and something we will discuss with Moscow."

"We expect the Russians and all countries to abide to the U.N. Security Council resolutions and enforce sanctions on North Korea," he said. "Any violation that detracts from the world's goal of finally, fully denuclearizing North Korea would be something that America would take very seriously."

Later Saturday, Pompeo went to greet Ri during a group photo of the ASEAN Regional Forum ministerial meeting. They shook hands and briefly exchanged smiles and a few words. Pompeo then went back to his place.

Ri later addressed fellow foreign ministers at the security forum, though Pompeo had already left to fly to Indonesia.

Ri said that North Korea has "initiated goodwill measures" by declaring a moratorium on nuclear tests and rocket launches and dismantling a nuclear testing ground, but that the U.S. has responded by "raising its voice louder for maintaining the sanctions against the DPRK and showing the attitude to retreat even from declaring the end of war, a very basic and primary step for providing peace on the Korean Peninsula." North Korea's official name is the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

"What is alarming, however, is the insistent moves manifested within the U.S. to go back to the old, far from its leader's intention," Ri said.

"Worse still, extremely inappropriate moves are shown of putting pressure on other countries not to send high-level delegations to the celebrations marking the 70th founding anniversary of the DPRK in September this year," Ri said.

Later Saturday, Pompeo said in a tweet that he "had the chance to speak with" Ri on Saturday. "We had a quick, polite exchange," Pompeo said.

Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department said President Donald Trump's reply to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's latest letter was hand-delivered to Ri in Singapore.

Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said Trump's reply to Kim was given to Ri by Sung Kim, the U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines who has been leading logistical negotiations with the North on its pledge to denuclearize. Nauert would not address the content of Trump's letter to Kim.

The White House said earlier in the week that Kim had sent a new letter to Trump and that the president had written a response.

At the United Nations, a summary of a report by experts monitoring U.N. sanctions against North Korea was sent to the Security Council on Friday that said North Korea is continuing with both its nuclear and missile programs. And, in addition to the oil transfers, it said the North was violating sanctions by transferring coal at sea and flouting an arms embargo and financial sanctions.

Late Friday, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley raised the alarm, saying that "talk is cheap." ''Russia cannot support sanctions with their words in the Security Council only to violate them with their actions," she said in a statement. She made the remarks as the U.S. asked the Security Council to add a North Korean bank executive, a North Korean company, a Chinese company and a Russian bank to the U.N. sanctions blacklist.

In his discussions with Southeast Asian officials in Singapore, Pompeo said he had implored them all to "strictly enforce all sanctions," including an end to ship-to-ship transfers of oil for North Korea, and had been encouraged by the response.

Despite the warning to Russia, Pompeo said he remained optimistic that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will follow through on his pledge to Trump to denuclearize. But he said the timeline for the North's full and final denuclearization remains a work in progress.

Earlier, in an interview with a Singapore's Channel News Asia, Pompeo had said the pace for the dismantlement of the North's nuclear weapons program would rest with Kim. "The ultimate timeline for denuclearization will be set by Chairman Kim, at least in part," he said. "The decision is his."

At the news conference, however, Pompeo appeared to step back from that comment, noting that the timeline is subject to negotiation between Washington and Pyongyang. He recalled that Kim had committed to denuclearization at the historic summit with Trump on June 12 in Singapore and that both sides "have been working since then to develop the process through which that will be achieved."

"The process of achieving denuclearization of the Korean peninsula is one that I think we have all known will take some time," Pompeo said, adding later: "I am optimistic that we will get this done in a timeline and the world will celebrate what the U.N. Security Council has demanded."

Pompeo said on Friday that while there's "still a ways to go," the United States remains "confident" in North Korea's commitment to denuclearize.

On Thursday, the White House announced that Trump had received a new letter from Kim and had responded quickly with a letter of his own. The correspondence came amid fresh concerns over Pyongyang's commitment to denuclearization despite a rosy picture of progress painted by Trump.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>Amid smiles and diplomatic niceties, U.S. secretary of state Mike Pompeo and his north Korea counterpart exchanged barbs and accusations Saturday in Singapore, with Washington warning that no sanctions would be lifted until North Korea fully denuclearizes and Pyongyang countering that it would not be bullied.

At a security conference in the same city-state where President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met two months ago, Pompeo's delegation also delivered a letter from Trump to the Kim.

Although Trump has declared that North Korea "is no longer a nuclear threat," Pompeo and North Korean foreign minister Ri Yong Ho made it clear in remarks to the the annual ASEAN Regional Forum that the two sides remain far apart on the issue.

Pompeo's comments came one day after a report by experts monitoring U.N. sanctions against North Korea was sent to the U.N. Security Council that said Pyongyang is continuing with both its nuclear and missile programs. It also said the North was violating sanctions by transferring coal at sea and flouting an arms embargo and financial sanctions.

In remarks to reporters in Singapore, Pompeo told reporters that the U.S. has new, credible reports that Russia is violating the sanctions by allowing joint ventures with North Korean companies and issuing new permits for North Korean guest workers. He said Washington would take “very seriously” any violations, and called for them to be roundly condemned and reversed.

The secretary, in his speech, warned that no sanctions would be lifted until North Korea fully and finally denuclearizes.

Although Pompeo had already left for Indonesia by the time Ri spoke, the North Korean diplomat pulled no punches.

“Confidence is not a sentiment to be cultivated overnight,” he said. “In order to build full confidence between the DPRK and the U.S., it is essential for both sides to take simultaneous actions and phased steps to do what is possible one after another.” North Korea’s official name is the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

“Only when the U.S. ensures that we feel comfortable with and come close to it, will we be able to open our minds to the U.S. and show it in action,” he said.

The U.S. has previously rejected calls for a phased approach, insisting on maintaining the sanctions until the North delivers on its commitments.

“What is alarming, however, is the insistent moves manifested within the U.S. to go back to the old, far from its leader’s intention,” Ri said.

The North Korean diplomat said the U.S. has maintained hostility instead of responding in kind to North Korea’s suspension of nuclear tests and missile launches and other goodwill gestures, such as the return of suspected remains of American troops killed in the Korean War.

“The United States, instead of responding to these measures, is raising its voice louder for maintaining the sanctions against the DPRK and showing the attitude to retreat even from declaring the end of war, a very basic and primary step for providing peace on the Korean Peninsula,” he said.

He also accused Washington of taking “extremely inappropriate moves” by discouraging third countries from sending high-level delegations to the North’s 70th anniversary celebrations in September.

Pompeo later tweeted from Indonesia that the two men "had a quick, polite exchange” and noted that the U.S. side had delivered Trump's letter for Kim.

At the forum, Philippine Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano weighed in on the dispute between Washington and Pyongyang, saying the rapprochement between the two countries, along with completion of a negotiating draft of the code of conduct, are a breakthrough.

But he added that “like any other breakthrough in diplomatic negotiations, they may lead to something great, they may lead to nothing.”</s>The United States' secretary of State said on Saturday that he had given North Korea's foreign minister a letter written by the US president addressed to the Asian country's leader during the two diplomats' meeting in Singapore.

Mike Pompeo said he had handed Donald Trump's letter for Kim Jong-un to North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho during their brief meeting on the sidelines of the Association of South East Asian Nations summit being held in the city-state on the Malay Peninsula.</s>"The Chinese side is ready to provide North Korea with all possible assistance to help it develop economically and as a nation," the minister said as he stood alongside North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho.

Speaking at the Asia-Pacific forum, Wang Yi praised Pyongyang for taking steps to fulfill the promises it made to the United States on June 12.

In turn, Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho said that Pyongyang wants to work with China to secure a lasting peace and stability on the Korean peninsula.

"China has played an important role in maintaining stability on the Korean peninsula and in promoting denuclearization. North Korea is ready to keep up strategic contacts with China and jointly protect stability and development on the Korean peninsula and in the region," Ri Yong Ho said on the sidelines of the ASEAN regional forum, which brought together ten Southeast Asia group member states and foreign ministers from other Asia-Pacific nations.

US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un pledged after their historic summit they would work toward ridding the Korean peninsula of nuclear weapons.

Meanwhile, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Wednesday, commenting on the US president's words about obstacles that the country was allegedly creating for Washington in the talks with Pyongyang that China has always consistently advocated for political settlement and denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

The situation on the Korean Peninsula has significantly improved over the last months, with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un having held several rounds of talks with his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in and a summit with Trump in Singapore.

In July, Trump said, however, that China may be exerting negative pressure on the agreement reached with Kim to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula over the trade row with the United States, and expressed hope that this would not happen. Trump did not elaborate on specific types of China’s alleged negative pressure.</s>SINGAPORE (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Saturday the process of ending North Korea’s nuclear program would take time but he was optimistic that it would be achieved within a timeline set by the leaders of the two countries.

It was important to maintain diplomatic and economic pressure, Pompeo said on the sidelines of an Asian regional conference, adding the United States took very seriously any relaxation of U.N. sanctions against North Korea.

“I’m optimistic that we will get this done in the timeline and the world will celebrate what the U.N. Security Council has demanded,” Pompeo told a news conference.

“The work has begun. The process of achieving denuclearization of the (Korean) peninsula is one that I think we have all known would take some time.”

He said there was every reason to believe the reports about Russia’s issuance of visas to North Korean workers were accurate, which would be in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions.

“I want to remind every nation that has supported these resolutions that this is a serious issue and something that we will discuss with Moscow,” he said.

“We expect the Russians and all countries to abide by the U.N. Security Council resolutions and enforce sanctions on North Korea.”

Russia has denied a report by the Wall Street Journal that said Moscow was allowing thousands of fresh North Korean laborers into the country and granting them work permits in a potential breach of U.N sanctions.

Russia’s ambassador to North Korea also denied Moscow was flouting U.N. restrictions on oil supplies to North Korea.

Pompeo flew to Singapore, where the U.S. and North Korean leaders held a landmark summit in June, to attend meetings of the foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as well as China, Russia, Japan and South Korea.

At a group photo session at an ASEAN security forum, Pompeo walked up to North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho, who was also attending, and shook hands and exchanged words and smiles.

Pompeo, who has been leading the U.S. negotiations to get the North to abandon its nuclear program, had primarily engaged with Kim Yong Chol, a top North Korean party official and former spy agency chief, and not Ri.

U.S. Ambassador Sung Kim, who has long been a key negotiator on the nuclear issue, said earlier he had no plans to meet the North Koreans in Singapore.

At the summit on June 12, U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who is seeking relief from tough sanctions, committed to work toward denuclearization, but Pyongyang has offered no details on how it might go about this.

Pompeo suggested on Friday on the flight to Singapore that continued work on weapons programs by North Korea was inconsistent with its leader’s commitment to denuclearize.

On Monday, a senior U.S. official said U.S. spy satellites had detected renewed activity at the North Korean factory that produced the country’s first intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the United States.

According to a confidential U.N. report seen by Reuters on Friday, North Korea has not stopped its nuclear and missile programs.

On Saturday, Pompeo was more upbeat about making progress on the denuclearization agreement, saying: “We’ve been working since then to develop the process by which that would be achieved.”</s>Amid smiles and diplomatic niceties, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his North Korean counterpart exchanged barbs and accusations Saturday in Singapore.

Washington warned no sanctions would be lifted until North Korea fully denuclearizes and Pyongyang countered it would not be bullied.

At a security conference in the same city-state where President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met two months ago for a historic summit, Pompeo's delegation also delivered a letter from Trump to Kim.

Although Trump has declared North Korea "is no longer a nuclear threat," Pompeo and North Korean foreign minister Ri Yong Ho made it clear in remarks to the the annual ASEAN Regional Forum that the two sides remain far apart on the issue.

Pompeo's comments came one day after a report by experts monitoring U.N. sanctions against North Korea said Pyongyang is continuing with both its nuclear and missile programs. It also said the North was violating sanctions by transferring coal at sea and flouting an arms embargo and financial sanctions.

In remarks to reporters in Singapore, Pompeo said the U.S. has new, credible reports Russia is violating the sanctions by allowing joint ventures with North Korean companies and issuing new permits for North Korean guest workers. He said Washington would take “very seriously” any violations, and called for them to be roundly condemned and reversed.

The secretary, in his speech, warned that no sanctions would be lifted until North Korea fully and finally denuclearizes.

Although Pompeo had already left for Indonesia by the time Ri spoke, the North Korean diplomat pulled no punches.

“Confidence is not a sentiment to be cultivated overnight,” he said. “In order to build full confidence between the DPRK and the U.S., it is essential for both sides to take simultaneous actions and phased steps to do what is possible one after another.” North Korea’s official name is the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).

“Only when the U.S. ensures that we feel comfortable with and come close to it, will we be able to open our minds to the U.S. and show it in action,” he said.

The U.S. has previously rejected calls for a phased approach, insisting on maintaining the sanctions until the North delivers on its commitments.

“What is alarming, however, is the insistent moves manifested within the U.S. to go back to the old, far from its leader’s intention,” Ri said.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo states in an interview that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will ultimately set the timeline for denuclearization.