"In the event diplomacy does not move in the right direction, these measures [sanctions] will increase," Pompeo told reporters.
However, North Korea has confirmed to the United States its readiness to denuclearize ahead of the historic summit between the two countries’ leaders, US Secretary of State said at the White House on Thursday.
"North Korea has confirmed to us its willingness to denuclearize," Pompeo told reporters in a press briefing.
In addition, Pompeo said that after the June 12 summit in Singapore he would travel to South Korea and China in order to update those countries on the details of the summit.
"I will be traveling to meet with my Japanese and South Korean counterparts after the summit to continue to coordinate with them," Pompeo told reporters. "I will also stop in Beijing following the Singapore summit. I will provide them with an update and underscore the importance of fully implementing all sanctions that are imposed on North Korea."
Before the summit in Singapore, Pompeo will join Trump in Charlevoix, Canada, on June 9 for Group of Seven (G7) meetings, according to the release.
Earlier on Thursday, US President Donald Trump said he is prepared to enter talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during the summit.
White House spokesperson Sarah Huckabee Sanders confirmed on Monday that the Trump-Kim summit would take place in Singapore at 9:00 a.m. Singapore time (13:00 GMT) on June 12.
