Former CIA director Mike Pompeo testifies during a Senate Intelligence Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, February 13, 2018.
- Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made an unannounced trip to North Korea, weeks ahead of the highly anticipated summit between the US and North Korea.
- Pompeo told reporters that he didn't know who he'd be meeting with once he arrived.
- He also indicated that the plans to release three US citizens held captive in North Korea have not been finalized.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made an unannounced trip to North Korea, weeks ahead of the highly anticipated summit between the US and North Korea, President Donald Trump announced Tuesday.
But according to reporters who were also en route with Pompeo, he said he didn't know who he'd be meeting with once he arrived.
"We're prepared to meet anyone who can speak on behalf of the North Korean government and give us solid answers so we're prepared," Pompeo said to reporters, according to Washington Post reporter David Nakamura.
Pompeo reportedly left Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Monday, with a few reporters who were prohibited from reporting on their trip until after Trump's announcement on Tuesday.
Pompeo's trip comes amid rumors of the release of three US citizens detained in North Korea. Trump, who announced that the plans for the upcoming summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had been finalized, said to "stay tuned" for any developments on the release of the US citizens.
But despite Trump's indication of an imminent release, Pompeo said that the plans have not been finalized.
"We've been asking for the release of these detainees for 17 months," he said, according to Nakamura. "We'll talk about it again. It'd be a great gesture if they'd agree to do so."
Pompeo made another unannounced trip to North Korea in April, then as CIA director, as part of Trump's advance envoy to lay the groundwork for the summit.