North Korea playing hard to get in bid for sanctions relief

NORTH KOREAN PUSHBACK: It turns out the abrupt cancellation of today’s planned meeting between Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his North Korean counterpart Kim Yong Chol in New York was called off by the North Koreans. It was expected Pompeo would lay the groundwork for a second nuclear summit between President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

According to South Korea’s Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, the North Koreans cited “busy schedules” for the snub. North Korea has not commented as to why the meeting was canceled. But it now seems clear any second meeting between the two leaders is not likely until sometime next year.