N. Korea, U.S. will not return to where they were before nuclear talks began: Blue House

We start at South Korea's Blue House,... where a high-ranking official says there will be "no turning back" in relations between North Korea and the U.S.
The official says the two sides won't move backwards... given the progress they've made over the past twelve months.
Shin Se-min reports.

The presidential office's view of the 'no-deal' Hanoi Summit is that the parties involved in the denuclearization talks do all they can to avoid returning to square one.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity-- a high-ranking official at South Korea's top office said North Korea and the U.S. never want to go back to the days of conflict and confrontation as both have moved forward too much to return.
The official suggested a more practical solution to the nuclear talks-- saying one-stop denuclearization is an unrealistic goal.
The Blue House official said the 'All or Nothing' strategy needs to be reconsidered-- and called for North Korea and the U.S. to reach an agreement on their blueprint first-- and then move on to phased denuclearization.
The official also stressed there needs to be a roadmap that lays out how to achieve that goal.
Such a view, however, seems to be at odds with the Trump administration's "big deal" drive in the talks-- while the North has been pushing for a phased and simultaneous approach in giving up its nukes.
It's thought Seoul again plans to take on the role of mediator and a coordinator between North Korea and the U.S. -- while proposing to both sides what it sees as its own solutions.
The South Korean official's remarks come as uncertainty has grown over the past week after Pyeongyang appeared to suggest it might drop its talks with Washington after the Hanoi summit ended prematurely with no deal.
The official emphasized it's time for the two Koreas to talk,... adding the ball is now in South Korea's court -- perhaps signaling that a fourth summit between President Moon Jae-in and Kim Jong-un could happen soon to help break the impasse between Pyeongyang and Washington.
Shin Se-min, Arirang News.