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US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (right) and Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun during a press briefing in August 2018.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressed hope that “the North Koreans will come to the table [for denuclearization talks] with ideas that they didn’t have the first time,” while also hinting at his hopes that the US will approach the talks more creatively.

When asked for “updates” on the situation with North Korea and its leader Kim Jong-un during a July 15 radio interview on the Sean Hannity Show, Pompeo noted the significance of the June 30 meeting between the North Korean and US leaders at Panmunjom.

“The President’s visit to North Korea, where he went across into North Korea for the first time a president had done that, has given us another chance to sit down with them and have another conversation,” he said.

He went on to say, “I hope the North Koreans will come to the table with ideas that they didn’t have the first time.”

“We hope we can be a little more creative too,” he added.

Pompeo also said that US President Donald Trump’s “mission hasn’t changed: to fully and finally denuclearize North Korea in a way that we can verify.”

“That’s the mission set for these negotiations,” he continued.

“I hope [Kim and Trump’s] meeting can put us on the right path to get that deal done,” he said.

Pompeo’s remarks about hoping to see “ideas that the North Koreans didn’t have the first time” are being interpreted as a reference to Pyongyang’s reluctance in its dialogue with the US so far to define the “end state” of denuclearization, as well as a comprehensive agreement on the “road map” leading to it. The US reportedly made the same demands of North Korea during their second summit in Hanoi last February. Since then, Washington has named its goal as being an initial agreement with Pyongyang on the end state of denuclearization, a road map, and a nuclear and missile freeze.

Pompeo’s reference to the US “being a little more creative too” was seen as being connected with the Trump administration’s recent discussions of what State Department Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun has called a “flexible approach.” It could be seen as hinting at the possibility of the US providing sanctions relief or regime security depending on Pyongyang’s attitude, while maintaining the ultimate goal of “final, fully verifiable denuclearization” (FFVD). On July 12, Pompeo said, “We’ve got to make sure that the security assurances that [the North Koreans] need are in place.”

Regarding the schedule for North Korea-US working-level talks, the State Department was reported by Radio Free Asia the same day as saying there had been “no meetings to announce at present.”

By Hwang Joon-bum, Washington correspondent

Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]