Anchor: The U.S. has raised the bar for negotiations with North Korea, saying that its goal is not only denuclearization, but also the permanent dismantlement of the North's weapons of mass destruction. 
Our Kim In-kyung reviews the step-up in pressure. 

Report: The U.S. State Department says President Donald Trump is looking forward to his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. 

Asked by KBS to comment on the North's recent criticism of the U.S., the department added that the government is making comprehensive efforts to prepare for the summit. 

It said the U.S.’ goal hasn't changed, and remains the permanent dismantlement of North Korea's weapons of mass destruction(WMD) without delay. 

The U.S. has so far called for the complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement or CVID of North Korea's nuclear weapons. 

However, it recently started to demand "permanent, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement" or PVID of the North's WMDs, including nuclear as well as biological and chemical weapons, ahead of its summit with the North.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo brought up the broader concept during his swearing-in ceremony last week, saying that the U.S. is committed to the PVID of the North’s weapons of mass destruction program, instead of the conventional expression. 

Then the White House said in a statement on Saturday that U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton and his Japanese counterpart Shotaro Yachi reaffirmed the shared goal of achieving the "complete and permanent dismantlement of North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction" when they met the previous day. 

A White House official told KBS that the U.S. looks forward to announcing the date and venue for the U.S.-North Korea summit soon. However, the official also vowed that sanctions will continue until the North denuclearizes. 

Meanwhile, the U.S.’ former special representative for North Korea policy, Joseph Yun, said it would be a real mistake to sign a peace treaty with the North before it dismantles its nuclear program. 

Speaking at a forum organized by the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington on Monday, Yun said that would be an open admission that North Korea is being acknowledged as a nuclear weapons state. 
Kim In-kyung, KBS World Radio News. 

[Photo : ]