현재 진행 중인 미 상원 청문회에서 폼페이오 국무장관은 북한이 완전한 비핵화를 하기 전엔 제재를 완화하거나 철회하지 않을 것이라고 했다. 그는 비핵화 협상이 진전되고 있는냐에 관하여는 可否 판단을 내릴 수 없다는 입장을 보였다.

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Sen. Cory Gardner asked Secretary of State Mike Pompeo if North Korea is making progress with its nuclear program. Pompeo said he couldn't give his answer during the hearing.

Here's how the exchange went down:

Gardner: Is North Korea still moving or making advancements undertaking a nuclear program?

Pompeo: May I answer that question in a different setting?

Gardner: You can’t answer that question here?

Pompeo: Yeah. I’d prefer not to.

Pompeo then explained further: "I'm not trying to be cute. We're engaged in a complex negotiation with a difficult adversary and each of the activities that we undertake is not going to be fully apparent to the world at the moment it is undertaken."


Sen. Ed Markey expressed concerns that the US was being "taken for a ride" by North Korea.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo quickly responded, saying, "Fear not, senator. Fear not."

He continued:

"Fear not. This administration has taken enormously constructive actions that put us in a place far better than in either of the two previous administrations. One Democrat, one Republican. We have put in sanctions in place that is unequaled. We are continuing to enforce that sanctions regime. We have made it incredibly clear to continue to enforce that sanction regime until such time as denuclearization as we have defined it is complete. Pressure on the regime is clearly being felt. We have lots of work to do. But unlike previous administrations, senator, we have no intention of allowing the (United Nations) sanctions, the world's sanctions, that we led the charge to have put in place to allowing the sanctions to either be lifted or not enforced. And until such time Chairman Kim (Jong Un) fulfills the commitment and I'm hopeful he will, those sanctions remain. We have not been taken for a ride, senator. I hope you can sleep a little bit better tonight."