"You Tried to Assassinate Me," "Still Doing It Now"... The Fierce Jokes Between Kim Jong-un and Pompeo

Pompeo Reveals Anecdotes in Memoir

Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo revealed an anecdote about joking with North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un on the topic of 'assassinating Kim Jong-un' during his secret visit to North Korea in preparation for the 2018 North Korea-U.S. summit.

On the 17th (local time), Fox News obtained and reported an excerpt from Pompeo's memoir, "Never Give an Inch, Fighting for the America I Love," which contains this story. The memoir is set to be published on the 24th.

In the book, Pompeo recalled his secret visit to North Korea in March 2018 as the Director of the CIA, acting as a special envoy for then-President Donald Trump.

Pompeo stated, "It was not the Easter weekend I had planned. My secret mission began on March 30, 2018, Good Friday (the Friday before Easter), as I took off from Andrews Air Force Base," adding, "The destination was Pyongyang, North Korea. I was heading to one of the darkest places on Earth to meet Chairman Kim Jong-un."

He explained, "The mission was a complete secret known only to a very few," and "My goal was to correct past failed efforts that had not eliminated North Korea's weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and had effectively led to the current heightened threat."

"I know you tried to kill me"..."I am still trying to kill you" retort

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Recalling his first meeting with Chairman Kim, he wrote, "This small, sweaty, evil man tried to break the awkward atmosphere with all kinds of charm, but it was fitting for a butcher," and "(Kim Jong-un) opened his mouth saying 'Mr. Director,' and said, 'I did not expect you to show up. I know you tried to kill me.'"

He added, "My team and I had prepared for this moment (starting a conversation with Kim Jong-un), but jokes about assassination were not on the 'list of things he might say when greeting me,'" and "But I was the CIA Director, so I could understand his witty remark."

He continued, "I decided to respond with humor. I said, 'Chairman, I am still trying to kill you,'" and "In the photo taken immediately after that conversation, Kim Jong-un was still smiling. He seemed convinced that I was joking."

After his special envoy visit, Pompeo visited Pyongyang several times, including about 40 days later as Secretary of State, to coordinate the North Korea-U.S. summit. Pompeo, who is weighing a run for the 2024 presidential election, declared last month that he would announce his candidacy decision this spring.