Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced on Thursday that he'll be traveling to North Korea next week along with Stephen Biegun, whom he named as special representative to the regime. Biegun served on George W. Bush's National Security Council, and is retiring as an executive at Ford Motor Company at the end of this month.

Why it matters: North Korea has thus far taken no significant steps toward denuclearization since the summit between President Trump and Kim Jong-un in June. Pompeo's last visit was a rocky one, but this time might have to go better in order to convince the Trump administration Kim is serious about the process.