Anchor: U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says there is “an awful lot of work to do” to achieve North Korea's denuclearization. But he also expected to see more progress toward the aim next month when the second Washington-Pyongyang summit will be held.
Kim Bum-soo has more. 

Report: 

[Sound bite: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo] 
"I believe at the end of February we’ll have another good marker along the way." 

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says that he expects to see a "good marker" on the path to achieving North Korea's denuclearization by the end of next month. 

Pompeo made the comment during a question-and-answer session after addressing the World Economic Forum in Davos via satellite link on Tuesday.  

[Sound bite: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo] 
"The negotiations have been underway for some time now. There are lots of discussions that have taken place. When Kim Yong-chol visited Washington last week, we made further progress not only in the discussions that he had with the President, but Special Representative Biegun had the opportunity to meet with his newly designated counterpart as well... "

Pompeo said the two sides also saw progress in their working-level talks held in Sweden over the weekend. 

[Sound bite: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo] 
"And so we have a handful of weeks before the two leaders will meet together again... There are many steps yet along the way towards achieving the denuclearization that was laid out in Singapore... "

It remains to be seen what kind of corresponding measures Washington can provide in the event Pyongyang takes further steps toward denuclearization. Pompeo instead discussed a rosy outlook for a denuclearized North Korea.  

[Sound bite: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo]
" ... but if we’re successful, if we can make a substantial step towards achieving the denuclearization and create the right conditions, it’ll be the private sector that sits there, looming in the background...
 Those things will certainly have a government component to them, but there’ll be an enormous private sector push that will be required to achieve the economic growth in North Korea that will ultimately lead to the stability that we’re all looking for."

The White House said President Donald Trump will hold his second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in late February. 

Washington, however, also made it clear that the economic sanctions on Pyongyang will be maintained until its denuclearization. 

Pompeo told the Davos Forum that there is “an awful lot of work to do” for the final aim.
Kim Bum-soo, KBS World Radio News.