Anchor: U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is expressing hope ahead of his Asia-Pacific tour that working-level talks with North Korea will resume very soon. He is also stressing that he will be in Bangkok for a couple of days, a remark interpreted as a possible offer for North Korea to hold talks in Thailand.
Celina Yoon has more.

Report: Four weeks have passed since an impromptu meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump at the inter-Korean border on June 30, but the working-level talks the two agreed upon have yet to be held.

In remarks to the Economic Club of Washington D.C. on Monday, however, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he hopes that the two countries can restart working-level discussions very soon while stressing that he will be in Bangkok for a couple of days.

Observers interpret the remark as Pompeo signaling that he desires to hold talks with North Korea to discuss pending issues during his stay in Thailand. 

The top U.S. diplomat is leaving for Thailand on Tuesday to attend regional meetings led by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho is reportedly skipping.

Both Pompeo and Ri were accompanying their leaders at Panmunjeom where the two agreed to resume working-level talks. Some wonder whether Pompeo’s comments represent a message to Pyongyang to send Ri to Bangkok.

Pompeo also said the U.S. hopes that there are creative solutions to unlocking sanctions on North Korea, perhaps indicating greater flexibility compared with past remarks in which he stressed sanctions wouldn't be lifted without complete denuclearization.

Regarding a third summit between Kim and Trump, Pompeo said there's nothing in the works.

It remains to be seen how North Korea, which has warned that joint military exercises planned by Seoul and Washington for next month could affect the resumption of talks, will react to Pompeo’s remarks.
Celina Yoon, KBS World Radio News.