Bolton wants to see ‘seriousness’ from North Korea on denuclearization

White House national security adviser John Bolton said Sunday that he wants to see “seriousness” from North Korea on potential denuclearization.

Bolton said on ABC’s “This Week” that getting North Korea to denuclearize remains the “highest priority” for the U.S.

“I think it’s important that they demonstrate seriousness,” he said.

White House national security adviser John Bolton says it’s important that North Korea “demonstrate seriousness” on denuclearization.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo “will be returning to Pyongyang soon for his fourth visit,” Bolton adds https://t.co/5DMKk99wXZ pic.twitter.com/CpmylTF4RY

— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) August 19, 2018

Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met in Singapore in June, when the two leaders signed a joint statement that committed North Korea “to work toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.” But the statement included no specifics on how that would be achieved, and Bolton said earlier this month that North Korea “has not taken the steps we feel are necessary to denuclearize.”

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Bolton said Sunday that he thinks North Korea could denuclearize within a year, pointing to an agreement between Pyongyang and South Korea. When pressed by ABC News host Martha Raddatz, he added that “it’s hard to believe” North Korea doesn’t understand the denuclearization agreement.

“Secretary [of State Mike] Pompeo has done extraordinary follow-up diplomacy after the Singapore meeting. As I say, we expect that’s going to resume in the near future,” Bolton said. “It’s a hard task, I don’t envy him, but he’s worked very hard at it to pursue President Trump’s goal of getting North Korea denuclearized.”

Trump has said since the summit in Singapore that North Korea will honor its agreement to denuclearize. 

“There is no longer a nuclear threat from North Korea,” the president said on Twitter following the June meeting. “Meeting with Kim Jong Un was an interesting and very positive experience. North Korea has great potential for the future!”