South Korea, US vow efforts for engagement with North Korea

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pauses while speaking to members of the media following two days of meetings with Kim Yong Chol, a North Korean senior ruling party official and former intelligence chief, before boarding his plane at Sunan International Airport in Pyongyang, North Korea, July 7, 2018. REUTERS-Yonhap

The top diplomats of South Korea and the United States vowed Saturday to make joint efforts to maintain the momentum for dialogue with North Korea after the cancellation of the U.S. envoy's visit to Pyongyang, the foreign ministry here said.

On Friday (Washington time), U.S. President Donald Trump said in a Twitter message that he had canceled Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's trip to North Korea slated for next week, citing a lack of progress toward resolving the North's nuclear issues.

Trump calls off Pompeo's North Korea trip, blasts China 2018-08-25 08:12  |  North Korea
Pompeo "looks forward to going to North Korea in the near future, most likely after our Trading relationship with China is resolved," Trump said, while expressing his hope for seeing North Korean leader Kim Jong-un again soon.

In a telephone conversation early Saturday, Pompeo briefed South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha on what led to the cancellation of his planned visit, and suggested close consultations to set their future direction together, according to the ministry.

Reassuring the allies' "firm will" to thoroughly push for joint peace efforts, Kang also agreed to work closely with Washington in continuing dialogue with the North, the ministry added. (Yonhap)