CIA Chief’s Secret Meeting with North Korea’s Kim Jong-un

In order to lay the groundwork for the summit between the US President and North Korean chief scheduled next month, CIA director Mike Pompeo met North Korea’s Kim Jong-un some weeks ago to oversee the preparation. The meeting is going to be very important as a series of development in this direction took place after Kim Jong-un invited Donald Trump for the meeting. This meeting will be the first official meeting between a sitting President of United States with North Korea’s ruling family.

The meeting between CIA Chief Mike Pompeo and North Korean Chief Kim Jong-un, on Easter Sunday was kept secret for many days. But it was during a news conference recently that the US President Donald Trump confirmed that the US is in direct talks with North Korea at extremely high levels, though he didn’t disclose anyone’s name.

He also said that White House is looking for at least 5 venues for the potential meeting between the leaders. Experts are of the view that a location for talks between the US President and North Korean Chief could be a demilitarised zone between South and North Korea, Europe, Beijing or even a well-guarded vessel on the international water.

Last month US President Donald Trump stunned the world community by announcing his meeting with North Korea’s Kim Jong-un. Clearly indicating that the meeting would take place in May or early June and also cleared, the site for the meeting will not be in the US. Donald Trump also said he wishes to bring an end to the enmity and hatred between the two Koreas, when the leaders of both the country will meet to discuss the end of years of war and opening a door to peace, which was halted since the Korean War in 1953.

Sources say that CIA Chief Pompeo, who is also the nominee for the position of the US Secretary of the State is directly dealing with North Korea through secret communication between CIA and its North Korean counterpart, the Reconnaissance General Bureau. Pompeo is also in close touch with Sun Hoon, Director of National Intelligence Service of South Korea. Hoon is said to be the person who convinced, Kim to invite President Trump.

The meeting between Mike Pompeo and the North Korean leader also becomes the first high-level meeting since 2000. In 2000, US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright met Kim Jong-il, father of Kim in Pyongyang. In 2014, then head of US National Intelligence James Clapper visited North Korea on a secret mission to negotiate the release of two US citizens. Though Clapper didn’t meet the North Korea leader then.

North Korea has been isolated for decades because of its agenda to pursue the development of nuclear weapons, in defiance of UN sanctions and international laws and structured human rights abuses in the country. It has so far carried out six nuclear tests and always claims to possess missiles that could reach the US in no time.

This year South Korea's hosting of the Winter Olympics gave an unexpected window to initiate talks between the nations followed by the invitation to the US and visits of leaders and diplomats to make the summit a reality.