21 January

US Vice President Mike Pence says a second US-North Korea summit scheduled for late February is expected to focus on specific steps toward the North's denuclearization.

On a Fox News program on Sunday, Pence was asked about remarks made by President Donald Trump the previous day. Trump said the US has made tremendous progress in negotiations with North Korea.

Pence explained that when Trump and he took office two years ago, the regime in Pyongyang was testing nuclear weapons and firing missiles. But he said no such testing or firing has been made now.

Pence added that the second summit will be laying out US expectations for North Korea to take concrete steps toward the denuclearization that Kim Jong Un committed to. Pence said the president is very optimistic and believes they can make real progress.

Last week, Pence complained that the North had failed so far to take any solid steps toward denuclearization.

The US has been urging North Korea to present lists of its nuclear weapons and nuclear-related facilities, as well as to accept inspectors to monitor the scrapping of such sites.

NHK