By Sohn JiAe
Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang Kyung-wha and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reaffirmed on May 11 that the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization (CVID) of the Korean Peninsula is their common goal.
Minister Kang said in a press conference after a meeting with Pompeo in Washington that, “We reaffirmed that our goal is to achieve the CVID on the Korean Peninsula. The meeting between President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump on May 22 will be instrumental in preparing for a successful U.S.-North Korea summit.”
“The close communication and trust between Presidents Trump and President Moon have been the driving force that has brought us to this point of breakthrough for the denuclearization and peace on the Korean Peninsula. We very much hope to see further steps, more concrete steps towards denuclearization, being produced at the U.S.-North Korea summit,” she added.
Secretary Pompeo vowed to endeavor to rebuild the economy in the North if Pyeongyang gives up its nuclear weapons.
“Washington and Seoul remain committed to achieving a permanent, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization (PVID) of the Korean Peninsula. If North Korea takes bold action to quickly denuclearize, the U.S. is prepared to work with the North to achieve prosperity on par with our South Korean friends,” he said.
“The release of three U.S. citizens helps set the conditions for a successful meeting between President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. We look forward to our continued preparations with the North to make the summit in Singapore on June 12 a true success for the American and Korean people and for the world,” the secretary added.
