Pompeo: Sanctions will remain until N. Korea's denuclearization

They reaffirmed the shared goal of ridding the North of its nuclear program in a "complete, verifiable and irreversible" way and having a united front in the next steps, Yonhap reports.

The show of unity among the regional powers came shortly after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's latest negotiations with the communist nation.

Less than 24 hours after his two-day trip to Pyongyang, Pompeo briefed his South Korean and Japanese counterparts -- Kang Kyung-wha and Taro Kono - on the results.

He said there was progress made in his talks with Kim Yong-chol, a top North Korean official, but there's work to be done on a much-awaited timeline for denuclearization.

"Sanctions will remain in place until final, fully verified denuclearization," Pompeo said at a joint press conference with Kang and Kono after a trilateral meeting in Tokyo. "While we are encouraged by the progress of these talks, progress alone does not justify the relaxation of the existing sanctions regime."

The denuclearization of Korea covers not just nuclear bombs but also missiles, he said, adding North Korean officials also understand that.

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