0515 국무부 브리핑

MS NAUERT: Okay. Let’s switch on. So North Korea? Okay.

QUESTION: Okay. I guess you saw just before the briefing the reports that North Korea threatens to cancel its participation in the summit in Singapore because of the joint exercises, military exercises with South Korea. We were told by South Korea that they were okay with these exercises. What has changed? Did --

MS NAUERT: Well --

QUESTION: -- Secretary Pompeo spoke about that --

MS NAUERT: So I just saw that report as I was coming out here.

QUESTION: -- when he was there?

MS NAUERT: So we haven’t had a whole lot of time to dig into that. I will say that Kim Jong-un had said previously that he understands the need and the utility of the Untied States and the Republic of Korea continuing in its joint exercises. They’re exercises that are legal; they’re planned well, well in advance. We have not heard anything from that government or the Government of South Korea to indicate that we would not continue conducting these exercises or that we would not continue planning for our meeting between President Trump and Kim Jong-un next month.

QUESTION: So they didn’t tell you anything about --

MS NAUERT: We have no information on that whatsoever. What we have to go on is what Kim Jong-un had said before, that he understands and appreciates the importance to the United States of having these joint exercises. The Republic of Korea has as well. We’ve received no formal or even informal notification of anything.

QUESTION: So you continue to plan the summit as --

MS NAUERT: Absolutely. We will continue to go ahead and plan the meeting between President Trump and Kim Jong-un.

QUESTION: Isn’t a report on the official North Korean news agency at least an informal notice or --

MS NAUERT: Did it actually go out on there? Because I got this just as I was walking out here, so I haven’t had a chance to fully sit down and investigate. But this is – that would be news to me.

QUESTION: It did.

MS NAUERT: Okay. Great.

QUESTION: They’re calling the exercises provocative and they’re calling them --

MS NAUERT: Well, they’re certainly not provocative. These are things that we do all around the world with many of our partners and allies. These are things that have occurred for decades and decades. Again, I’ll say this for a third time, Kim Jong-un had said that he understands the importance to the United States that we conduct these joint exercises, these joint exercises continue to go on, so okay.

Hi.

QUESTION: Hi. In addition to saying that they might cancel the U.S.-North Korea summit, they’ve also canceled high-level talks with South Korea over the military drills. Do you have any comment on that?

MS NAUERT: I can’t confirm that. I would just have to refer you to those respective governments.

QUESTION: Heather --

QUESTION: But would you see that as an unwelcome sign?

MS NAUERT: I – guys, I would not get ahead of ourselves here. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. This news just came out. We need to verify it, get additional information on that, but we’re going forward and planning our meetings next month, okay?

Hi, yes.

QUESTION: Still on North Korea but not on that.

MS NAUERT: Yeah.

QUESTION: So Secretary Pompeo said on Sunday that the U.S. would have to provide security assurances to the Kim regime. Is that what he told Chairman Kim when he was in Pyongyang meeting with him, and if so, what was the response?

MS NAUERT: So some of those would certainly fall under private diplomatic conversation. I was not there in the room when the Secretary spoke with Chairman Kim at the time. I – what I would go on is what the Secretary said in interviews in which he had talked about security assurances. Obviously, governments like that are concerned about their principals’ security, and I’ll just leave it at that, okay?

Okay. Hi. Yeah.

QUESTION: So Secretary Pompeo has said that having a ambassador to South Korea is one of the high priority. Now that the – with the freeze of hiring, should we – what does the timetable look like? Should we expect a U.S. ambassador to South Korea before June 12th?

MS NAUERT: Well, I would refer you to the Senate, first of all. Let’s see what they have to do, let’s see what they can do to help speed this up. We look forward to having an ambassador in South Korea just as soon as we can get one. I don’t know what the timeline is on that or the timeframe is on that, but we look forward to having him in place.

QUESTION: Heather.

MS NAUERT: Yes.

QUESTION: Can you confirm that Harry Harris --

QUESTION: (Off-mike.)

MS NAUERT: Hold on. Yes.

QUESTION: Heather, no Secretary --

MS NAUERT: Hold on a sec. Janne, go ahead.

QUESTION: Thank you. In order to – me go?

MS NAUERT: Yes. Please, go right ahead.

QUESTION: In – on North Korea. In order to – (coughs) – excuse me. In order to dismantle of North Korean’s Punggye-ri, North Korean nuclear test site, on I think May 22nd – between the 22nd and 25 – only the reporters were invited to ceremony, but not – expert were not invited. Will the U.S. need verification or not? Do you have any comment on this?

MS NAUERT: First I would say the United States and our allies look forward to getting some more information about that event that North Korea has said they would destroy that facility. I don’t know if any of you are planning to go or hope to go over, but I’m sure our Consular Affairs people would be okay with taking your calls, certainly. We look forward to learning more about that and seeing exactly what they have planned.

QUESTION: You should have verification, that site, because they five times in a nuclear test. So why – you had to verify --

MS NAUERT: I can just say our people will be all over this type of thing, whether it’s now or in the future when our people can go in and start to verify. Hopefully we’ll be in the position to be able to do that, but again, I don’t want to get ahead of that process.

Hi, Nick.

QUESTION: Heather, do you have – you mentioned the Senate would have a role to play in that. Has the administration formally nominated anyone for --

MS NAUERT: I’d have to double check on that. I’m not sure if they’ve actually formally nominated Admiral Harris to be the ambassador of South Korea, but I’ll just double – take a look at it.

QUESTION: But he is the nominee?

MS NAUERT: I – I’ll double check on that.

Kylie.

QUESTION: (Off-mike.)

QUESTION: So wait a second. Just to make sure I got this right, you’re inviting all reporters to call Consular Affairs to ask them about traveling to North Korea?

MS NAUERT: I’ll get in trouble with Consular Affairs. I’m being lighthearted in that. I understand that the Government of North Korea has invited reporters. I’ve not heard from any of you about that just yet.

Kylie, go right ahead.

QUESTION: Will Secretary Pompeo be reaching out to North Korea to encourage them to carry through with this meeting with South Korea?

MS NAUERT: I don’t think he’s picking up the phone and begging anybody to do anything at this point. We are operating under the idea and the notion that the President’s meeting is going forward with Chairman Kim next month.

QUESTION: And if this meeting doesn’t happen, will you still go forward?

MS NAUERT: That’s a hypothetical. That’s a hypothetical. Look, this news just came out. I can’t verify it just yet. It’s very early on in the process, but we’re planning ahead for our meetings. Okay.

QUESTION: (Off-mike.)

QUESTION: How does that affect your confidence on North Korea?

MS NAUERT: Pardon me?

QUESTION: North Korea making such announcements through state media ahead of the summit, how does that affect U.S. confidence on North Korea in pushing ahead with this summit – planned summit?

MS NAUERT: Well, I would say that we’ve seen some pretty good indications from them so far. It was just one week ago that we had three Americans who were being held prisoner in North Korea for far too long. The Secretary was able to bring home those Americans, and now they’re home and reunited with their families.

So they have taken some steps in the right direction in having us and inviting this United States delegation to go to North Korea and saying that they’re willing to meet with us, and they have said that we will commit to denuclearization. I think those are all good signs. I don’t want to get ahead of this announcement that everybody’s all worked up about until we have some time to take a look at things, okay? Okay.

Michel, go right ahead.