Mike Pompeos Cancelled Trip to North Korea Affects Inter-Koreas Liaison Plans

Mike Pompeos trip to North Korea is having an effect on a controversial inter-Korean liaison office it planned to open by this month.

U.S. President Donald Trump abruptly canceled his top diplomats planned trip to North Korea on Friday, publicly acknowledging for the first time that his effort to get Pyongyang to denuclearize had stalled since his summit with the Norths leader. South Koreas presidential Blue House spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom said on Monday that the canceled visit cannot be said to have zero effect on the plan for the liaison office. South Korea has been building a liaison office just over the border in North Korea, as part of efforts championed by the Souths President Moon Jae-in to improve ties between the two Koreas. The office, which the South Korean government said planned to open by August, had raised concern among opposition lawmakers, analysts and local media that the transfer of material for the office could violate U.N. and U.S. sanctions against North Korea.