Mike Pompeo: CIA chief made secret trip to North Korea

“I really believe there’s a lot of goodwill; a lot of good things are happening,” Trump told reporters. Trump's CIA chief in secret meeting with North Korean leader: U.S. officials

Region:: World
Category:: Politics
Publication date:: Wednesday, 18 April 2018 - 09:15

CIA director Mike Pompeo travelled to Pyongyang for a secret meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, US President Donald Trump has confirmed.

A "good relationship" was formed at the meeting last week, Mr Trump tweeted on Wednesday.

News of the visit first emerged on Tuesday. US officials were quoted as saying the aim was to prepare a summit between Mr Trump and Mr Kim.

Mr Trump had earlier alluded to high-level direct talks with Pyongyang.

But the unexpected and clandestine meeting marks the highest level US contact with North Korea since 2000.

"We have had direct talks at... extremely high levels," Mr Trump said from Florida, where he is hosting Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The president added that he gave his "blessing" for talks between the South and North to discuss a peace treaty to formally end the 1950-1953 Korean War.

South Korea's President Moon Jae-in and Mr Kim are due to meet next week. The two sides have agreed to broadcast parts of the summit live, the South's state news agency Yonhap reported.

What do we know about the 'secret meeting'?

The news that Mr Pompeo had travelled to North Korea for a clandestine meeting with Mr Kim was first reported by The Washington Post.

The trip took place shortly after Mr Pompeo was nominated by Mr Trump to replace Rex Tillerson as secretary of state, two anonymous sources "with direct knowledge of the trip" told the newspaper.

Later Reuters news agency said the report had been confirmed to them by senior officials. Early on Wednesday, Mr Trump confirmed the reports with a tweet.