Amid rumors of the North Korean leader's health, Pompeo: I met his sister several times

In an interview with the American "Fox News" channel, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated that several times he met Kim Yoo Jung, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who has great influence.

Pompeo commented on his meetings with Kim Yu Jung, who experts believe may have left her brother in power in North Korea, that the challenge remains unchanged and the goal remains unchanged, regardless of who heads the country.

The minister announced yesterday, Wednesday, that the United States will continue to seek nuclear disarmament for North Korea, whatever its leader, while rumors spread about Kim Jong Un's health status.

A Brighter Future,
Pompeo Renewed The United States pledged to the North Korean people a "brighter future" if Pyongyang's authority abandoned its nuclear arsenal.

He stressed that they must give up nuclear weapons in a way that the American side can verify.

Pompeo visited North Korea four times in 2018, during which he helped organize the historic summits that brought together US President Donald Trump and Kim, after more than half a century of hostility between Pyongyang and Washington.

But hopes have dwindled for a possible relief before the US presidential elections in November.

North Korea has conducted controversial missile tests, and Washington has rejected Pyongyang's demands that it ease sanctions before it fully disarms.

Cardiovascular surgery
On the other hand, the newspaper, "NK Daily", which is run by North Korean defectors, reported that Kim underwent surgery in April due to problems with the arteries of the heart, and that he was recovering in a villa in Fyon-gun County.

South Korea played down the importance of this information, as the South Korean News Agency (Yonhap) quoted a senior South Korean official - without revealing his identity - as saying that the information about Kim's serious illness is "incorrect."

US President Donald Trump announced that he knew nothing of the North Korean leader's health, stating that no one had confirmed the authenticity of these reports, and that he hoped he would be fine.

Probably still in control
, and Gen. John Hayton, deputy chief of staff of the US Army, said on Wednesday that the US Department of Defense has no information to confirm that Kim Jong-un has lost control of the nuclear power and the military in North Korea.

Hayten told reporters that he assumed that Kim still had complete control of the Korean nuclear forces and the Korean army, adding that "I have no reason not to assume that."

US media have reported that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, 36, is not feeling well after undergoing heart surgery, and that he is receiving treatment.