U.S. seeks elimination of N. Korea's WMDs that begins with freeze: State Dept.

美국무부 "北 대량살상무기 완전한 제거 원해…동결은 입구"There's been talk in the media that the Trump administration might be satisfied with a nuclear freeze by North Korea.But the State Department is clarifying that the goal is still the regime's complete denuclearization, and a freeze is just the start.Kim Ji-yeon reports.The U.S. State Department has made it clear its goal is to seek a complete elimination of weapons of mass destruction in North Korea... beginning with a freeze on their production.Speaking at a press briefing on Tuesday,... spokesperson Morgan Ortagus explained a nuclear freeze has never been the end goal of the Trump administration... and that U.S. President Donald Trump is committed to resolving the North Korean nuclear issue through diplomacy.She added a nuclear freeze is just the beginning of the process... signaling that the U.S. may be open to adopting a step-by-step approach to the North's nuclear dismantlement, starting with the freeze and ending with a complete scrapping of WMDs.Washington's previous stance had centered on the regime dismantling all of its nuclear and missile facilities before easing any sanctions.Her comments come after growing controversy following a New York Times report saying the U.S. could settle for a nuclear freeze in hopes it'll create a foundation for the next round of talks with Pyeongyang.On the nature of the 50-or-so-minute meeting held between President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inside the Freedom House... at the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjeom late last month... Ortagus said the meeting should not be regarded as a summit between the two leaders... but an impromptu gathering.It's believed a third summit would take place if the bilateral working-level talks planned for this month go ahead and lead to progress.Kim Ji-yeon, Arirang News.