Trump will pursue complete denuclearization of North Korea as Kim strengthens nuclear capabilities: NSC

Turning to the U.S., President Donald Trump last week referred to North Korea as a "nuclear power," raising concerns that this could signal a shift in Washington's long-standing policy of denuclearizing the regime.

However, the White House says that President Trump remains committed to that policy.

Our Lee Soo-jin has the details.

U.S. President Donald Trump could once again pursue the complete denuclearization of North Korea.

White House National Security Council spokesperson, Brian Hughes, told Yonhap News Agency on Tuesday local time that Trump will pursue the complete denuclearization of North Korea, as he did during his first term.

The spokesperson also emphasized that Trump had a good relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and that his "mix of toughness and diplomacy led to the first-ever leader-level commitment to complete denuclearization."

This comes shortly after the North's state-run Korean Central News Agency revealed that Kim had conducted an on-site visit to a nuclear material production facility and a nuclear weapons research institute.

During the visit, he inspected the current state of nuclear material production and assessed the institute's research agenda for 2025.

The exact date of the visit, however, was not disclosed.

Kim also reportedly said during the visit that "a prolonged confrontation with the world's most hostile adversaries" is inevitable, and emphasized that "strengthening of the nuclear shield is essential to address current threats and emerging security risks, as well as to protect the nation's sovereignty, interests, and right to development."

And as this report comes less than a week after Trump in an interview with Fox News expressed his willingness to reach out to Kim again, it's likely that the North will refuse to engage in talks for the time being.

During his first term, Trump held three historic meetings with Kim.

It was after the Singapore Summit in June 2018, the first-ever meeting between a sitting U.S. president and a North Korean leader, that a joint statement was made saying the North would commit to working towards the "complete denuclearization" of the Korean Peninsula.

But while groundbreaking, the summit as well as the following Hanoi Summit in February 2019 and the DMZ meeting in June 2019,.. failed to result in a definitive agreement on denuclearization.

As such, there has been speculation that Trump may pursue "small deals" that address only parts of North Korea's nuclear capabilities.

"Well I think the problem with a large deal is that Kim rejected that even back in 2019. So he's not going to try to cross that path again. It's going to be Trump leveraging Kim."

But as the White House's statement appears to refute these speculations,.. Trump may make the denuclearization of North Korea a key diplomatic goal in his second term as well.

Lee Soo-jin, Arirang News.