Seoul: Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated that North Korea's denuclearization will only occur with the "permission" and "direction" of Chinese President Xi Jinping, emphasizing the importance of deterring Beijing from leveraging Pyongyang as a "strategic tool."

According to Yonhap News Agency, Pompeo, who served as the chief diplomat during President Donald Trump's first administration, shared insights from his nuclear negotiations with North Korea in 2018 and 2019 during a recent forum. He highlighted the limited autonomy of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un concerning the nuclear issue, due to the close ties between Beijing and Pyongyang.

Pompeo noted the absence of "carrots" to incentivize the North Korean regime to abandon its nuclear program and expressed concern over the limited "sticks" or punitive measures available. He also mentioned that Kim Jong-un might seek relief from economic sanctions if discussions with the United States were to resume.

"If the idea is to get the nuclear weapons moved out of North Korea, it's only going to happen with the permission and the direction of Xi Jinping. Talking to Chairman Kim is interesting but not that instructive," Pompeo remarked during a fireside chat organized by D and A LLC, a South Korean law firm.

Additionally, Pompeo suggested that future strategies should focus more on Beijing and on preventing it from exploiting North Korea as a strategic asset.