Trump asks Pompeo to cancel DPRK trip

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday tweeted that he has asked Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to cancel his upcoming trip to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), citing the lacking of progress on the Peninsula denuclearization.

Trump tweeted that "I have asked Secretary of State Mike Pompeo not to go to North Korea, at this time, because I feel we are not making sufficient progress with respect to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula."

He added that "Secretary Pompeo looks forward to going to North Korea in the near future."

"In the meantime I would like to send my warmest regards and respect to Chairman Kim. I look forward to seeing him soon!," Trump said.

Earlier on Thursday, Pompeo said that he has appointed Stephen Biegun as the new special envoy for the DPRK.

He also said that he and Biegun will travel to Pyongyang next week "to make further diplomatic progress towards our objective."

Pompeo has visited the DPRK for three times, respectively in April, May and July.

Trump on Aug. 20 said he would "most likely" meet with Kim for a second time, and he believed Pyongyang had taken specific steps toward denuclearization.

In the joint statement after the June 12 Trump-Kim meeting in Singapore, Trump committed to provide security guarantees to the DPRK, while Kim reaffirmed his firm and unwavering commitment to a complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.