U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has refused to put a timeline on negotiations with North Korea, saying he will instead monitor progress toward the dismantlement of the North’s nuclear weapons program.

Pompeo told CNN on Monday the U.S. is committed to moving forward in an expeditious moment to see if it can achieve what both leaders set out to do.

During a phone interview with the news channel, Pompeo said he would "constantly reassess" progress in the negotiations to determine whether they should continue.

The secretary previously set a goal of 2020 to achieve the North's denuclearization, before the end of U.S. President Donald Trump's term.

His recent remarks also contradict a senior U.S. defense official who said Washington would soon present a timeline to North Korea with “specific asks.”

[Photo : KBS News]