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US President Donald Trump speaks during a roundtable discussion on the economy and tax reform in Burnsville

US President Donald Trump reiterated on Apr. 15 that denuclearization dialogue with North Korea “doesn’t have to move fast.” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also stressed the need for North Korea-US dialogue while urging Pyongyang to take action toward denuclearization. The messages raised the possibility of a third North Korea-US summit while maintaining the US’ insistence on a “big deal” approach in which no sanctions relief is provided before complete denuclearization.

Speaking at a business roundtable discussion on “the economy and tax reform” that day in Burnsville, Minnesota, Trump referred to North Korea while explaining about the results of his foreign policy efforts.

“I have a very good relationship with Kim Jong Un,” Trump said. “He [Kim] just said the other day he looks forward to more talk. Talk is okay,” he continued.

“It’s interesting when the media said, ‘It’s not moving fast enough,’” he added. “For 40 years, they don’t talk about [North Korea-US dialogue]. With me, it’s like nine months.”

He went on to say, “I don’t want it to move fast. It doesn’t have to move fast.”

“Right now it’s moving along just perfectly. And we have a good relationship. The sanctions are on. We got our hostages back. [. . .] Our remains [of US soldiers] are coming back,” he continued.

His remarks were seen as opening the door to a potential third summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, while also sending the message that he plans to wait until Pyongyang responds positively to the “big deal” approach combining complete denuclearization with sanctions relief. Responding on Apr. 13 to Kim’s policy address indicating his willingness to have a third summit contingent on the US providing “a methodology that can be shared with us,” Trump tweeted, “I agree [. . .] that a third Summit would be good,” adding that he “look[s] forward to the day [. . .] when Nuclear Weapons and Sanctions can be removed.”

During a talk the same day at Texas A&M University, Pompeo answered a question about whether he thought the sanctions against North Korea would be relieved in the foreseeable future.

“I would love nothing more than to lift the sanctions on North Korea,” he replied, adding that it “would mean that North Korea no longer had a nuclear weapons program or a weapons of mass destruction program.”

His remarks were taken as referring to a “big deal” exchanging sanctions relief for the elimination of nuclear weapons and WMDs rather than smaller deal approach.

Responding to Kim’s policy address, Pompeo said, “I appreciate that [statement].”

“He [Kim] said he wanted it done by the end of the year. I’d love to see that done sooner,” he added.

His remarks were seen as responding to Kim’s statement of his willingness to wait until the end of the year for the US to change its stance by returning the ball to Pyongyang’s court with a message calling for a decision on complete denuclearization before the end of the year.

By Hwang Joon-bum, Washington correspondent

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