North Korea ready to allow inspectors into missile sites, Pompeo says

close

Video

North Korea ready to allow inspectors at nuke sites, US says

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo makes the announcement after meeting with Kim Jong Un; Rich Edson reports from the State Department on the move.

North Korea on Monday said it was ready to allow an international group of inspectors into the country’s clandestine nuclear and missile sites, a move that could be seen as more evidence in Washington and Pyongyang’s thawing relationship.

Mike Pompeo, the U.S. secretary of state, made the announcement after a Sunday meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The meeting was apparently productive, and they even discussed another summit between Kim and President Trump, Reuters reported.

Pompeo identified Punggye-ri as one of the testing sites mentioned in their conversations. The U.S.’s top diplomat retweeted Trump’s tweet touting a “good meeting” in Pyongyang.

"We continue to make progress on agreements made at Singapore Summit," Pompeo tweeted. Trump met with Kim in Singapore in June and – at the time – announced that the two countries are set to "start a new history."

Video

The tone of the meeting was cordial. Pompeo was hit by North Korean officials a few months ago as having a “gangster-like demand for denuclearization.”

Trump also called off a meeting with Pompeo in August, due to a lag in the negotiations.

The Washington Post reported that Pompeo met with Kim for about two hours and had lunch. Kim told Pompeo as they sat down, “It’s a very nice day that promises a good future for both countries.”