The US has not noticed North Korean chief Kim Jong-Un and is monitoring stories about his well being, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo mentioned Wednesday, emphasizing the administration’s warnings of a potential famine within the nation amid the coronavirus pandemic.
North Korean media has not reported on Kim’s whereabouts since he presided over a gathering on April 11, upsetting hypothesis about his well being and elevating considerations about instability within the nuclear-armed nation that would have an effect on different North Asian nations and the US.
“We haven’t seen him. We don’t have any info to report at this time, we’re watching it carefully,” Pompeo instructed Fox Information after being requested about conflicting stories about Kim’s well being.
Pompeo mentioned the US was additionally monitoring the scenario extra broadly in North Korea, which borders China, given the danger offered by the coronavirus.
“There’s a actual danger that there might be a famine, a meals scarcity, within North Korea too,” he added.
“We’re watching every of these issues carefully, as they’ve an actual influence on our mission set, which is to in the end denuclearize North Korea.”
Pompeo mentioned at a State Division information convention later that the US would proceed to pursue President Trump’s stalled efforts to steer the Hermit Kingdom to surrender its nukes “it doesn’t matter what transpires there,” referring to a potential change in management.
“There’s a variety of work to do on it. We’re going to proceed to concentrate on it.”
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Trump met Kim thrice in 2018 and 2019 in an try to steer him to surrender a nuclear weapons program that threatens america.
Kim balked on the US demand, asserting that America must finish its punishing sanctions on the impoverished nation earlier than talks may proceed.
Whereas talks have stalled, Trump has continued to hail Kim as a good friend — and this week hinted that he knew concerning the dictator’s situation with out offering particulars.
Pompeo didn’t elaborate on the danger of famine in North Korea, however a North Korean financial delegation was due in Beijing this week to debate meals provides and commerce points because the coronavirus outbreak has severely disrupted the nation’s meals provide, two folks with direct data of the scenario instructed Reuters.
North Korea is susceptible to meals shortages, with as many as 1.1 million folks dying of hunger and associated ailments in the course of the famines of the 1990s, based on South Korean estimates.
Officers in South Korea and the US have mentioned Kim could also be staying at a coastal resort to keep away from publicity to the brand new coronavirus, and have expressed skepticism about media stories he had some form of severe sickness.
They warning, nevertheless, that Kim’s well being and placement are carefully guarded secrets and techniques and dependable info is troublesome to acquire in North Korea.
“I don’t have something so as to add to the standing of Chairman Kim,” Pompeo instructed reporters, whereas noting that “we did have the chance to work together with numerous North Korean officers,” together with Kim’s sister and “others.”
In the meantime, the US has contingency plans in place for an eventual demise of Kim which can be primarily based on expectations of a mass-scale humanitarian disaster contained in the nation.
With Put up wires