Mike Pompeo plans to nail down deal details in North Korea

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (centre). Photo / AP

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo began his first trip to Pyongyang since President Donald Trump's summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un last month with a vow to nail down the specifics of the commitments Kim made on denuclearisation.

Pompeo, who arrived in the North Korean capital yesterday, has the crucial task of dispelling growing scepticism over how serious Kim is about giving up his nuclear arsenal and translating the upbeat rhetoric that followed the first meeting between leaders of the United States and North Korea into concrete action.

He was met at the Pyongyang airport by Kim Yong Chol, a senior ruling party official and former intelligence chief, and Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho to begin his third visit since April and first since the June 12 summit.

"Our leaders made commitments at the Singapore summit on the complete denuclearisation of North Korea and outlined what a transformed US-DPRK relationship could look like," Pompeo said while still en route, according to comments relayed to reporters on his plane by spokeswoman Heather Nauert.

DPRK is the abbreviation of the authoritarian nation's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

President Donald Trump speaks during a rally. Photo / AP

"On this trip I'm seeking to fill in some details on these commitments and continue the momentum towards implementation of what the two leaders promised each other and the world. I expect that the DPRK is ready to do the same," Pompeo said.

One hoped-for breakthrough during his visit would be the return of the remains of US GIs killed during the 1950-53 Korean War. Both sides have suggested Pyongyang is willing to turn over dozens if not hundreds of sets of remains.

But just before Pompeo's arrival, the North's state-run media lobbed a warning shot at Washington over its criticism of the North's human rights record.

U.S. President Donald Trump, (right), shakes hands with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Photo / AP

The criticism, published on the government-run Uriminzokkiri website, said Washington should stop provoking the North with an "anachronistic human rights racket" at a time of diplomatic attempts to improve ties.

The position the North will take on the nuclear issue appears to be anything but a done deal.

Over the past quarter-century, North Korea has frustrated or outfoxed US Administrations that have attempted to stop and reverse its weapons development through diplomacy and sanctions.

Since the summit, doubts over the North's intentions have grown again, amid reports that it is continuing to expand facilities related to its nuclear and missile programmes and that US intelligence is sceptical about its intentions to give up its weapons.

Monitoring group @38NorthNK releases new analysis of satellite imagery, says North Korea appears to be making “rapid” improvements to Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center — even as denuclearization talks continue. S. Korea Unification Ministry: “We’re watching it closely.” pic.twitter.com/p4PGO7r2WU

— Will Ripley (@willripleyCNN) June 27, 2018

Asked on Thursday if North Korea was hiding nuclear facilities, Trump said: "We'll see. All I can tell you is this. You haven't had one missile launch and you haven't had one rocket launch or you haven't had any nuclear tests."

Speaking on board Air Force One on a trip to Montana, Trump said he believed he forged a personal connection with the young autocrat he once pilloried as "Little Rocket Man", a phrase that reportedly may come up during Pompeo's visit.

Just heard Foreign Minister of North Korea speak at U.N. If he echoes thoughts of Little Rocket Man, they won't be around much longer!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 24, 2017

Pompeo was reportedly taking with him a gift from Trump for Kim — a CD of Elton John's Rocket Man.

Media outlets reported that the CD was one of two gifts from Trump that Pompeo had taken with him.