WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says the U.S. has "made clear" to South Korea that progress on disarming North Korea should not lag behind the expansion of relations between the two Koreas.
Pompeo says there's "complete agreement" between Washington and Seoul on this, but his comments to reporters underscore U.S. anxiety over a potential disconnect with its close ally.
Pompeo says the U.S. and South Korea set up a working group, which is meeting in Washington on Tuesday, to ensure they don't "talk past each other" on their dealings with North Korea.
Negotiations between the U.S. and North Korea on ending its nuclear program have appeared to stall in the months since President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un held a historic summit in Singapore.
