North Korea remains nuclear threat: Pompeo

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said that North Korea remains a nuclear threat, contradicting President Donald Trump's past comments about Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons program.

Trump has maintained that North Korea is on the path to get rid of its nuclear weapons and has also said there is no nuclear threat from the East Asian nation.

Pompeo was asked by a news anchor on CNN on Sunday whether he believes Pyongyang remains a nuclear threat. "Yes," Pompeo replied.

When asked about Trump’s comments that he no longer considers North Korea a nuclear threat, Pompeo said that's not what the president said.

“What he said was the efforts that had been made in Singapore, this commitment that Chairman Kim made, have substantially taken down the risk to the American people," Pompeo said. "We're aiming to achieve that."

Pompeo said that he believes the two sides have made "a substantial step" toward denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula.

"We've been criticized for taking that path where we work and negotiate and the two who can effectuate the denuclearization and a brighter future for the North Korean people will gather for a second time," he said.

"I am very hopeful that we'll make a substantial step toward achieving the full denuclearization in a verifiable way in North Korea."
On Sunday night, Trump said he would be happy as long as North Korea does not test weapons, ahead of his second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Hanoi, Vietnam.

"And we see eye to eye, I believe, but you'll be seeing it more and more over the next couple of days, one way or the other," Trump said.

Trump on Monday will depart for Hanoi, Vietnam, where he will meet with Kim on Wednesday and Thursday.

The president also said he was in no rush to strike a nuclear agreement with Kim.

EA