Even Biegun says ‘no’ to incremental denuclearization

U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun, who is in charge of working-level negotiation for denuclearization of North Korea, announced on Monday (local time), saying, “We are not going to do denuclearization incrementally, and that is the position [on] which the U.S. government has a complete unity.” Following National Security Adviser John Bolton, who has a stern stance against North Korea, Biegun also confirmed that the U.S. gave up on gradual denuclearization and moved towards the single undertaking “Big Deal.”

President Donald Trump urged North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to go all-in during the second U.S.-North Korea summit, and emphasized that the president wants a “total solution” that was pursued at the summit, the top U.S. diplomat tasked with negotiating with North Korea mentioned at the round-table talk hosted by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

With respect to weapons of mass destruction, Biegun added that the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons will become important partners in solving North Korea’s chemical weapons problem. Moreover, by delivering the fact that President Trump is very serious about the report related to the restoration of the Dongchang-ri missile launch site, he implied the possibility of North Korea’s missile provocation in the near future. Along with such, Biegun urged for North Korea’s response, saying, “Diplomacy is still alive. The doors to talks with North Korea is still opened.”


lightee@donga.com