U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday played up reports that North Korea has begun dismantling key parts of a missile test site, but the president's enthusiasm contrasted with remarks by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who said the same day that verification and inspections would still be needed to confirm the news.
Trump hailed satellite images indicating that Pyongyang had started to disassemble portions of its Sohae Satellite Launching Station, citing them as a sign of progress in the wake of his meeting last month with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore.
"New images ... show that North Korea has begun the process of dismantling a key missile site," Trump told a VFW convention in Kansas City, Missouri. "And we appreciate that. We had a fantastic meeting with Chairman Kim, and it seems to be going very well."