New Delhi: US President Donald Trump and his secretary of state sent out mixed messages on North Korea on Thursday, with the US President praising Kim Jong Un, but Mike Pompeo saying Pyongyang still had “enormous” work to do.
The difference in tone will add to concerns about US foreign policy since Trump took office last year, with Pompeo’s predecessor Rex Tillerson having quit in March after being repeatedly undermined by the President.
Trump, almost three months after meeting his North Korean counterpart in Singapore and securing a commitment to denuclearise, on Thursday praised Kim for reportedly expressing faith in him.
“Kim Jong Un of North Korea proclaims ‘unwavering faith in President Trump.’ Thank you to Chairman Kim. We will get it done together!,” Trump wrote on Twitter.
Kim had earlier on Thursday restated his commitment to denuclearising the Korean peninsula.
The North Korean leader emphasised that his “trust in Trump remains unchanged”, said South Korean national security adviser Chung Euiyong, who met with Kim and delivered a letter from South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday.
Kim expressed his intention to work closely with the US to achieve denuclearisation, Chung added.
Pompeo, however, struck a more sober note while speaking to reporters in India welcoming Pyongyang’s decision to not stage nuclear or missile tests since June, but saying Kim still had much to do.
North Korea “is the only country that has commitments under UNSC resolutions,” Pompeo told reporters.
“We will continue to work with them to deliver... on the UNSC resolutions,” he said.
