Pompeo speaks with ROK, Japanese FMs over phone on next step on DPRK engagement

WASHINGTON -- US State Department said on Monday that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday spoke over phone with foreign ministers of the Republic of Korea (ROK) and Japan to discuss the next step on the engagement with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

According to an announcement issued by State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert, Pompeo and the ROK's Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha "reaffirmed the United States and the Republic of Korea remain committed to the final, fully verified denuclearization" of the DPRK.

The two diplomats also "pledged to maintain close coordination and agreed that pressure must continue until the DPRK denuclearizes," read the statement.

In a separate statement also issued by Nauert, Pompeo and Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono also reaffirmed their commitment to the the DPRK's final denuclearization, and "agreed that pressure must continue until the DPRK denuclearizes."

Pompeo and Kono "affirmed the strength of the US-Japan Alliance and vowed to continue working closely together to address common challenges, seize shared opportunities, and advance the interests of both the United States and Japan" in the region, read the statement.

US President Donald Trump on Friday tweeted that he had asked Pompeo to cancel his upcoming trip to the DPRK, just one day after Pompeo said he and Stephen Biegun, the US new special envoy for the DPRK, will travel to Pyongyang the following week "to make further diplomatic progress towards our objective."

Speaking of the call between Pompeo and Kang, the ROK's Foreign Ministry said on Friday that "Pompeo explained in detail the background behind the postponement of his visit to the DPRK."

In response, Kang expressed regret over the postponement of the visit, "citing the unswerving commitment of the ROK and the US to a thorough implementation of the measures agreed upon at the inter-Korean and US-DPRK summit talks."

She also proposed that the ROK and the US side, "while maintaining the momentum of dialogue, continue efforts to achieve denuclearization and establish peace on the Korean Peninsula," read the statement.

In the joint statement after his June 12 meeting in Singapore with DPRK top leader Kim Jong-un, Trump committed to provide security guarantees to the DPRK, while Kim reaffirmed his firm and unwavering commitment to a complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.