U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo 'very happy' to return to North Korea

Our top story this morning...U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says he's optimistic his planned visit to the North Korean capital this weekend will lay the groundwork for a second summit between the leaders of the two sides.Lee Seung-jae starts us off. "Very happy." Those were the words U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo used to describe how he feels about his return to North Korea this weekend to continue denuclearization talks with the regime.During a news conference at the State Department on Wednesday,... the top U.S. diplomat said he was "very happy to be going back to get another chance to continue to advance the commitment" that the leaders of North Korea and the U.S. made back in their June summit in Singapore.Pompeo also expressed optimism about the process that's underway. "I'm optimistic that we'll come away from that with better understandings, deeper progress, and a plan forward" Pompeo declined to comment on recent negative signals from the North,... including complaints about Washington's apparent reluctance to agree to a declaration to end the Korean War without major concessions.This comes after North Korea's foreign minister Ri Yong-ho said last weekend,... there was "no way" the regime would disarm first without seeing trust-building measures from the U.S. Pompeo also brushed aside suggestions there's a difference of opinion between himself and President Trump,... over a timeline for North Korea to ditch its nuclear program.Just last month,... Pompeo expressed hope there would be major North Korean disarmament by the end of Trump's first term in January 2021,... but a week later... President Trump said he did not have a timeframe. Pompeo stressed that in the meantime,... international sanctions have to remain in place on North Korea,... and added there was unanimous support for the continued sanctions at the recent UN General Assembly. Pompeo's fourth trip to the North Korean capital on Sunday,... will be all the more important,... as the U.S. Special Representative for North Korea,... Stephen Biegun will make his first trip there, as well.Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.