U.S. reportedly compromises denuclearization goal

U.S. President Donald Trump is projected to demand North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to take out or discard intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) such as Hwasong-15 as the first step for complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization (CVID) before a second U.S.-North Korea summit to be held soon. This is to take a step forward with denuclearization from the first U.S.-North Korea summit.

“The U.S. will come up with corresponding measures if North Korea discards ICBM, missile production lines or other nuclear sites,” said South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the New Year’s press conference Thursday. But some point out that denuclearization process can be delayed further if North Korea switches its tactic from denuclearization to nuclear disarmament, which is why the final goal should be CVID.

"The ultimate goal is CVID, but it is difficult for the U.S. Department of State to demand North Korea to declare its nuclear activities and verification list," a South Korean government official said. “Washington will not accept gradual and simultaneous measures that Pyongyang demands, but are working on a gradual denuclearization roadmap with several steps just as low-level disabling of nuclear facilities and will accept North Korea’s nuclear freeze.” “In the short term, we need to put focus on freezing nuclear development, nuclear and ballistic missile tests and nuclear material production,” the U.S. State Department clarified in a joint report of the East Asia and the Pacific region published at the end of last year.

“We need to reach complete and final denuclearization,” U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in an interview with Fox News on Friday (local time). But he is also discussing how to reduce threats against American citizens. He emphasized that the ultimate goal is safety of U.S. citizens. Some suggest that their goal is to discard ICBM, which can give as much damage to the U.S. as nuclear programs.


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