A U.S. congressional think tank has projected that the Biden administration could face a choice between the pursuit of a phased dismantlement of North Korea's nuclear program and a big deal. 

The Congressional Research Service(CRS) presented the projection in its recent report on diplomacy with North Korea, saying that President Joe Biden has hinted at his intent to seek a more traditional approach to diplomacy with North Korea. 

The report said if talks restart under Biden, U.S. negotiators could face the question of whether to aim for an incremental dismantlement in step with gradual sanctions relief, or to try for a "big deal" and demand that the complete denuclearization precede full sanctions relief.

It added that a related question is whether the U.S. would accept partial denuclearization as an outcome of talks. 

The CRS report also said that the possibility of sanctions relief is complicated by legal requirements to address a range of issues such as security, regional stability and human rights. 

It added that U.S. sanctions on the North target not just weapons development but also human rights abuses, money laundering, the illicit weapons trade, international terrorism and illicit cyber operations.