U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has expressed optimism over continued dialogue with North Korea following the breakdown of a summit between the leaders of the two countries in Hanoi last week.

Pompeo said on Monday during a meeting with the Iowa Farm Bureau, although there was no commitment yet, he was hopeful about sending a team to Pyongyang in the next couple of weeks. 

The secretary added he was continuing to work to find places of shared interest between the two sides, noting the U.S. has been trying to convince North Korean leader Kim Jong-un that denuclearization is the only way to achieve security for his country.

Since the summit's collapse, the two sides have given different reasons for talks ending abruptly.

U.S. President Donald Trump said last Thursday that the North wanted all the sanctions lifted in exchange for denuclearization, while North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho disputed the claim saying Pyongyang had asked for partial sanctions relief.

[Photo : YONHAP News]