Pompeo: North Korea will get ‘unique’ security guarantees

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo takes a question during the press briefing at the White House in Washington, DC, on June 7, 2018. (AFP)

• Pompeo sounded an upbeat tone, saying that preparatory talks were advancing more quickly than expected
• Stating that the United States would not again be duped by North Korea

SINGAPORE: The United States is willing to offer North Korea “unique” security guarantees if it embarks on “complete verifiable and irreversible denuclearization, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday.
On the eve of a historic summit between President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un, Pompeo sounded an upbeat tone, saying that preparatory talks were advancing more quickly than expected.
Stating that the United States would not again be duped by North Korea, Pompeo said the Trump administration would only accept complete denuclearization.
In return, he said, “we will take actions to provide them sufficient certainty that they can be comfortable that denuclearization is not something that ends badly for them,” Pompeo said.
“Just the opposite. That it leads to a brighter and better future for the North Korean people.”
Pompeo said these guarantees would be “different and unique” than America has been willing to provide before.
“I’m very optimistic we will have a successful outcome with the two leaders,” he said.
“There are only two people that can make decisions of this magnitude. Those two people will sit in a room tomorrow.”