U.S. President Donald Trump has fired his Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.<br />Using Twitter to drop the news,... Trump added that CIA Director Mike Pompeo will replace Tillerson as Washington's top diplomat. <br />The abrupt dismissal comes a matter of weeks ahead of an unprecedented summit between the U.S. and North Korea. <br />Kim Hyo-sun tells us more. President Trump has ousted his Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson and replaced him with Mike Pompeo, the CIA chief. <br /> The surprising decision was announced via Trump's Twitter on Tuesday,... through which he also thanked Tillerson for his 14 months of service. <br />Explaining his decision to fire him,... the president told reporters they had a different mind-set and a different way of thinking.<br />President Trump then added that he has a very similar thought process with Pompeo, who is notable for his hawkish attitude.<br />Pompeo is known to have played a crucial role in agreeing on a summit between Washington and Pyongyang by closely coordinating with the South Korean government. <br /> Meanwhile,... Tillerson told reporters he will leave the State Department at the end of the month.<br /><br /> "My commission as secretary of state will terminate at midnight, March the 31st. I'll now return to private life as a private citizen, as a proud American, proud of the opportunity I've had to serve my country." <br /><br />Undersecretary of State Steve Goldstein was also fired after contradicting the official account of Tillerson's dismissal. <br />Vacancies within the higher echelon of the State Department will present a major challenge for Pompeo as he prepares for an unprecedented meeting between President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un,... following his Senate confirmation hearing in April. <br />Kim Hyo-sun, Arirang News. <br />
