US reiterates commitment to 'complete denuclearization' of Korean Peninsula

U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller answers questions during a news briefing at the State Department in Washington, July 18. AP-Yonhap

The United States remains committed to the "complete denuclearization" of the Korean Peninsula, the State Department said Thursday, highlighting diplomacy is its "first option" to address the North Korean nuclear quandary.

Matthew Miller, the department's spokesperson, made the remarks after Politico, a U.S. media outlet, reported that former President Donald Trump is considering a negotiation plan under which North Korea freezes its nuclear program and stops building new bombs in return for sanctions relief and other incentives.

Trump later rejected as "fake news" the Politico report that suggested he could, if reelected, consider letting Pyongyang keep its existing nuclear arms rather than dismantling them.

"We are committed to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and we will continue to work to try to achieve that goal," he told a press briefing.

Miller's remarks were in response to a question of if it is possible to lift economic sanctions against the North should the North freeze its nuclear program rather than abandoning it.

"I don't want to comment about very hypothetical scenarios when they have shown no willingness to move in that direction at all," he said.

Miller stressed that Washington's first option is diplomacy when it comes to the North Korean conundrum.

"We want to pursue diplomacy with North Korea. As I've said before, we have seen those offers rejected by the North Korean government," he said.

"But we will continue to make clear that diplomacy is our first option, but also that we stand strongly with our allies, South Korea and Japan," he added. (Yonhap)

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