By Lee Hana

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has shown an optimistic outlook on the "efforts to build out a pathway for denuclearization" ahead of his visit to North Korea on Oct. 7, where he will meet with Chairman Kim Jong Un for the fourth time.

During a press conference held on Oct. 3 at the U.S. Department of State, Pompeo said, "my efforts this week will be one more step along the way towards achieving what the UN Security Council has directed the North Koreans to do."

In response to a question about a timeframe for denuclearization, Pompeo stressed that, "We want it fast, but we're not going to play the time game," adding that the comment about the 2021 timeline was not his but "a comment made by the leaders who had their inter-Korean summit in Pyeongyang."

"Importantly, we've [made progress] in a condition which continues to give us the opportunity to achieve the final goal (denuclearization), [while] economic sanctions continue to remain in place. The thing which will give us the capacity to deliver denuclearization isn't changing," he said.

hlee10@korea.kr