At a meeting with lawmakers at the National Assembly on Wednesday,... South Korea's top diplomat rebuffed reports the U.S. and the Moon administration might've softened their tone or lowered their expectations on what's possible with North Korea.
Kang Kyung-wha insisted Seoul and Washington's goal remains unchanged - the complete and irreversible denuclearization of the regime.
Kim Hyesung reports.
Seoul's foreign minister Kang Kyung-wha said on Wednesday... that South Korea's goal regarding the North... is achieving its complete denuclearization.
In response to a lawmaker's question about whether Seoul would oppose the U.S. if it settles for a nuclear freeze,... the top diplomat said complete denuclearization remains Seoul and Washington's goal,... while denying that the U.S. is changing its strategy.
Her comments come after the New York Times reported that U.S. officials may settle for a suspension in Pyeongyang's nuclear program,... instead of the final, fully-verified denuclearization of the North.
This report surfaced on the heels of the surprise meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at the Demilitarized Zone last Sunday.
Minister Kang said she received a detailed briefing on their discussions from Washington and that they were very positive.
She added that Trump’s decision to cross the DMZ into the North was possible thanks to mutual trust between North Korea and the U.S.
Kim Hyesung, Arirang News.