For the second time in a matter of weeks, the U.S. Secretary of State is in North Korea.<br />With officials there, he's likely to hammer out details in preparing for the upcoming Washington-Pyongyang summit.<br />Mike Pompeo's previous visit to the regime was veiled in secrecy, but this trip was announced by President Trump.<br />Oh Jung-hee has the highlights from the ex-CIA chief's meeting with his North Korean counterpart. <br />Setting the past aside,... North Korea and the United States promised to make joint efforts to establish peace on the Korean Peninsula.<br /> Landing in Pyongyang on Wednesday local time, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with North Korea's Kim Yong-chol.<br />Kim Yong-chol is a close political aide to Kim Jong-un... and was Pompeo's direct counterpart... for talks on the North Korea-U.S. summit... when Pompeo was head of the CIA.<br /> Kim first told Pompeo that Pyongyang has high expectations that the U.S. will play a big role in establishing peace on the Korean Peninsula.<br />Pompeo responded... that the American side is also committed to achieving exactly that.<br /> He also expressed hope that the two could work together to solve the conflict, despite having been enemies for decades.<br /><br /> The news of Pompeo's departure for North Korea was abruptly announced by U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday during his announcement on the Iran nuclear deal.<br /> His remarks pointed to the possibility... that the date and location of the North Korea-U.S. summit could be announced quite soon.<br /><br /> "We have our meeting scheduled. We have our meeting set. The location is picked. The time and date, everything is picked. And we look forward to have a great success. We think relationships are building with North Korea." <br /><br /> Some key agendas for the Kim-Trump summit are also expected to be nailed down,... as Pompeo has told reporters this visit aims to set a concrete framework.<br /><br /> Hopes are high that the three Americans detained in North Korea could return to the U.S. with Pompeo... especially because, unlike the previous visit a month ago, Pompeo's visit this time involves a couple of American reporters -- raising the prospect that the Trump administration might want to create a dramatic scene.<br /> Pompeo has said he had not yet received a commitment from the regime that it will release the detainees.<br /> But he added he will bring up the issue,... saying he hopes Pyongyang will (quote) "do the right thing."<br />Oh Jung-hee, Arirang News. <br />
