Nuclear Negotiations

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White House national security adviser John Bolton has said that South and North Korea have agreed that Pyongyang will denuclearize within one year. In an interview he also officially announced that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo would soon be visiting the North.

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In his interview with ABC, White House National Security Advisor John Bolton once again mentioned North Korea's denuclearization within one year. Bolton said that South and North Korea have agreed that Pyongyang would denuclearize one year after it reaches a strategic decision to abandon its nuclear weapons.

[Soundbite] John Bolton (White House National Security Advisor) : "The one year period that we've talked about from the point where North Korea makes the strategic decision to denuclearize is something that the North and South Koreans have already agreed to."

He added that this is the reason President Donald Trump is willing to maintain dialogue with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

[Soundbite] John Bolton (White House National Security Advisor) : "why is that significant President Trump has gone out of his way to hold the door open for Kim Jong Un. That's what the Singapore meeting was about."

John Bolton also said that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will soon visit North Korea yet again and will hopefully meet with Kim Jong-un. It's the first time that a key U.S. government official officially announced the state secretary's pending visit to North Korea. Regarding whether or not Pyongyang was serious about the denuclearization issue, Bolton stressed that North Korea's denuclearization was a priority for the United States and that it's important for Pyongyang to demonstrate its seriousness. In his interview with Fox News early this month, John Bolton, a staunch hard-liner on North Korea, said that Kim Jong-un pledged to South Korean President Moon Jae-in to denuclearize within one year during their historic summit back in April.