US to soon transfer post-summit schedule to North Korea

US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un meet during a one-on-one session at the start of their summit at the Capella Hotel on the resort island of Sentosa, Singapore on June 12. Photo: Reuters

The official, speaking to a small group of reporters ahead of a visit to Asia this week by US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, did not provide specifics but said the timeframe would be quick enough to clarify Pyongyang’s level of commitment.

“We will know pretty soon whether they can perform reliably,” said the unnamed official.

“There will be specific requirements and there will be specific timeframes when we convey to the North Koreans our views on how to implement the summit agreement,” the person added.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said last week that he wanted to return to North Korea “before too long” to try to implement commitments made at the June 12 summit in Singapore between Mr Trump and Mr Kim.

During the Singapore summit, the first between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader, Mr Kim reaffirmed his commitment to work toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, while Mr Trump said he would stop joint US-South Korean “war games”.

Mattis, before embarking on a week-long trip to China, South Korea and Japan, said Trump's guidance to halt military exercises applies not only to the large Freedom Guardian exercise in August but also to two smaller training exercises under the Korean Naval Exchange Program.

“Major, joint, coordinated exercises have been suspended,” Mattis said. “We will see whether further negotiations will maintain that status.”

Mattis arrived in Alaska on June 24, local time, where he visited Fort Greely and Eielson Air Force Bases, before continuing his journey to China. His visit there from June 26-28 will be the first by a US defense secretary since 2014, and comes amid heightened Sino-US tensions over trade and China’s military assertiveness in the South China Sea.

North Korea is expected to top Mattis’ agenda during his talks with senior Chinese officials. He will then travel to South Korea and conclude his visit with talks in Japan on June 29.

Last week, China hosted North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Pyongyang media reported that Chinese President Xi Jinping and Kim reached an understanding on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula after discussing the outcome of the US-North Korea summit.

Pompeo told reporters during a visit to Seoul earlier this month that he would take a leading role in moving forward with North Korea after the summit, saying Washington hoped to achieve significant disarmament from North Korea in the next two and a half years, before Trump’s current term ends on January 20, 2021.