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A photo released in May shows Kim Jong-un observing tests of different weapons systems in North Korea. Photo: Korea News Service via AP

North Korea’s Kim Jong-un not ready to denuclearise, US intelligence agency chief Robert Ashley says

  • Comments come ahead of Trump’s visit to South Korea, after exchange of letters with Kim boosted hopes for resumption of talks
  • Earlier summit collapsed when leaders were unable to bridge differences between US demands for denuclearisation and North Korean demands for sanctions relief
Kim Jong-un

The US intelligence community does not believe North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is ready to denuclearise, US Defence Intelligence Agency Director Lieutenant General Robert Ashley told Fox News in an interview on Monday.

A summit in February between Kim and US President Donald Trump collapsed when the two leaders were unable to bridge differences between US demands for denuclearisation and North Korean demands for sanctions relief.

US President Donald Trump welcomes South Korean President Moon Jae-in to the Oval Office in April. Photo: EPA-EFE

“We still continue to assess within the IC (intelligence community) that Kim Jong-un is not ready to denuclearise,” Ashley said.

Trump will visit South Korea this weekend after an exchange of letters with Kim boosted hopes for a resumption of talks aimed at ending North Korea’s nuclear programme.

Xi vows to work with Pyongyang on ‘political resolution’ to nuclear issue

Trump is set to arrive in South Korea for a two-day visit on Saturday, and will meet President Moon Jae-in on Sunday, following a summit of G20 leaders in Japan, Moon’s spokeswoman, Ko Min-jung, said on Monday.

The announcement came hours after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he hoped a letter Trump sent to Kim could pave the way for a revival of talks that have been stalled since February’s failed summit in Vietnam.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: UPDATE 1-Kim still not ready to denuclearizse, US agency says intelligence agency chief
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