U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is optimistic working-level talks with North Korea will resume "very soon".<br />The top U.S. diplomat also said he hopes there are creative ways to break the current deadlock in the nuclear negotiations.<br />Lee Seung-jae reports.<br />U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says he's hopeful working-level talks with Pyeongyang can get underway again "very soon".<br />Speaking to The Economic Club of Washington D.C. on Monday,... Pompeo also said there are "creative solutions to unlocking" the current impasse in nuclear negotiations in exchange for sanctions relief.<br />Calling the situation a 'Rubik's Cube',... Pompeo said it's a difficult challenge not only for Washington,... but also for Pyeongyang.<br />Touching on the possibility of a third summit between President Trump and Kim Jong-un,... Pompeo admitted there's "nothing in the works" at the moment,... signaling working-level talks are first on the agenda.<br />While the leaders of North Korea and the United States agreed to resume working-level talks when they held a historic meeting at the inter-Korean border a month ago,... Pyeongyang has since warned the resumption of talks will be contingent on whether Seoul and Washington go ahead with joint military exercises set for next month.<br />Regarding North Korea's recent firing of two short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea,... Pompeo, at the time,... brushed them off as a negotiating tactic and added he anticipates talks will start again.<br />Pompeo is scheduled to travel to Thailand this week to attend regional meetings led by Southeast Asian states.<br />While there was speculation he could meet North Korea's Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho in Bangkok,... Ri is reportedly passing on the event.<br />Calling it "too hypothetical",... Pompeo declined to comment on a scenario where the U.S. would lift sanctions on North Korea as long as the regime didn't build more nuclear weapons.<br />Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.<br />
