U.S. will not accept N. Korea's step-by-step denuclearization: Biegun
- 5 years ago
비건 "점진적 北 비핵화 안해...외교는 여전히 건재”
America will NOT accept partial denuclearization.
That's coming from Washington's special envoy for North Korea .
It was Stephen Beigun's first public remarks since the collapsed Hanoi summit.
He also pointed to a key challenge in the two sides' negotiations.
Park Hee-jun has our top story. The U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun says the U.S. is not going to "do denuclearization incrementally".
Speaking at a nuclear conference hosted by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace on Monday,... Biegun put forward an all-or-nothing approach,... insisting that the North has to remove all its weapons of mass destruction,... including its chemical and biological weapons.
"Basically what the U.S. wanted is, they want a comprehensive agreement and step-by-step implementation. Not the step-by-step negotiations on every detail, every time. So based on his speech today, it's very difficult for them to find a middle ground between the U.S and North Korea with regards to how to achieve the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula."
Biegun also pointed to the difficulties in negotiating with the North-- mainly stemming from the difference in the definition of the Yeongbyeon nuclear complex.
While the complex was defined as only containing plutonium facilities back in 2008 when the six-party talks were ongoing,... the special envoy says North Korea has since built new uranium enrichment facilities.
He said the U.S. is demanding the removal of all dimensions of the nuclear fuel cycle and the nuclear weapons program,... and highlighted the importance of a "complete declaration".
As for recent reports on new activity at the Dongchang-ri test site,... Biegun says Washington is closely monitoring the rocket site.
He said he did not know whether the North Korean leader would decide to launch another missile.
But he reiterated that President Trump would be disappointed if Kim were to resume missile testing.
Park Hee-jun, Arirang News.
America will NOT accept partial denuclearization.
That's coming from Washington's special envoy for North Korea .
It was Stephen Beigun's first public remarks since the collapsed Hanoi summit.
He also pointed to a key challenge in the two sides' negotiations.
Park Hee-jun has our top story. The U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun says the U.S. is not going to "do denuclearization incrementally".
Speaking at a nuclear conference hosted by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace on Monday,... Biegun put forward an all-or-nothing approach,... insisting that the North has to remove all its weapons of mass destruction,... including its chemical and biological weapons.
"Basically what the U.S. wanted is, they want a comprehensive agreement and step-by-step implementation. Not the step-by-step negotiations on every detail, every time. So based on his speech today, it's very difficult for them to find a middle ground between the U.S and North Korea with regards to how to achieve the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula."
Biegun also pointed to the difficulties in negotiating with the North-- mainly stemming from the difference in the definition of the Yeongbyeon nuclear complex.
While the complex was defined as only containing plutonium facilities back in 2008 when the six-party talks were ongoing,... the special envoy says North Korea has since built new uranium enrichment facilities.
He said the U.S. is demanding the removal of all dimensions of the nuclear fuel cycle and the nuclear weapons program,... and highlighted the importance of a "complete declaration".
As for recent reports on new activity at the Dongchang-ri test site,... Biegun says Washington is closely monitoring the rocket site.
He said he did not know whether the North Korean leader would decide to launch another missile.
But he reiterated that President Trump would be disappointed if Kim were to resume missile testing.
Park Hee-jun, Arirang News.