Pompeo says ready to transform US-DPRK ties immediately

WASHINGTON -- US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday that the United States is ready to transform its relations with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) immediately.

In a statement regarding the outcomes of an earlier summit between leaders of South Korea and the DPRK, Pompeo said that "the United States congratulates President Moon Jae-in and Chairman Kim Jong Un on the successful outcome of their summit meeting in Pyongyang."

"We welcome President Moon and Chairman Kim's reaffirmation of the Singapore joint statement of complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," he said. "On the basis of these important commitments, the United States is prepared to engage immediately in negotiations to transform U.S.-DPRK relations."

He added that "this morning, I invited my counterpart Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho to meet in New York City next week where we are both already scheduled to be in attendance at the United Nations General Assembly meeting."

"Likewise, we have invited North Korean representatives to meet our Special Representative for North Korea, Stephen Biegun, in Vienna, Austria at the earliest opportunity," Pompeo added.

This will mark the beginning of negotiations to transform U.S.-DPRK relations through the process of denuclearization of the DPRK and to construct a lasting and stable peace regime on the Korean Peninsula, Pompeo noted.

Earlier on the same day, U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted that the fruits of the summit are "very exciting."

The DPRK's top leader Kim Jong Un and visiting South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday signed a joint declaration, agreeing to take additional steps toward making the Korean Peninsula free of nuclear weapons and threats of armed conflict.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said on Wednesday that China welcomes the consensus reached between the two nations.

"China, as a close neighbor, always supports the efforts of the north and south of the peninsula to improve their ties and push forward reconciliation and cooperation through dialogue and consultation," Geng said.

China hopes that the two sides will continue to implement the consensus, endeavor to promote interaction and cooperation and play a positive role in achieving a political solution to the peninsula issue as well as lasting peace in the region, Geng said.