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Pompeo: North Korea Sanctions Will Stay Until It Denuclearizes

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There will be no sanctions relief for North Korea until after Kim Jong Un has completely denuclearized. That was the message from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Thursday at a press conference in Seoul with South Korean and Japanese foreign ministers.

"We are going to get complete denuclearization," Pompeo said, "only then will there be relief from sanctions."

Pompeo was apparently responding to a North Korean state media report that President Trump and Kim had agreed the sanctions would be gradually lifted as the North went through the process of denuclearization.

But Pompeo said the Trump administration would not repeat the mistakes of previous presidents by giving North Korea economic and finanical aid relief for promises that it would denuclearize.

"That is not going to happen," Pompeo said. He also explained the administration expects "major disarmament" by the end of President Trump's first term in 2021.

And President Trump told Fox News' Bret Baier the US has to verify that North Korea has indeed denuclearized. When Baier asked if Trump was confident the US can set up verification, the President said, "I'm totally confident. And if we can't, we can't have a deal. It has to be verified."

North Korea could face another consequence if Kim Jong Un doesn't keep his promise to end his nuclear program.

Pompeo said the president made it clear to Kim that the US will resume its joint military exercises with South Korea if North Korea doesn't denuclearize.

The president has said the US would suspend the exercises, calling them "provocative."
   

 

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About The Author

Drew
Parkhill

Drew Parkhill is a Senior Producer for CBN News. He selects the news stories used in the daily news segment on The 700 Club. He is also a member of the CBN News editorial team, and serves as the Financial Editor. Parkhill has worked at CBN since 1980, and with CBN News since 1985. He began producing the news segment of the 700 Club in 1989. Drew graduated from Ohio State with a BA degree in Journalism, and from CBN (now Regent) University with a Masters in Communication. His interests cover a wide range of subjects, including current events, financial markets, Biblical studies, science