North Korea demands America accept its problematic definition of 'denuclearization,' 'study geography'

On Thursday, North Korea said that it will never give up its nuclear weapons unless the U.S. agrees to Pyongyang's definition of "denuclearization," which includes the U.S. taking South Korea and probably Japan out from under its nuclear umbrella. It also appears to include removing America's 28,500 troops from South Korea. President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un agreed to work toward "complete denuclearization" at a June summit, but the disagreement over what that entails has hamstrung peace talks ever since. This new statement, issued by the state-run Korean Central News Agency, throws those talks into further turmoil.

"The United States must now recognize the accurate meaning of the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and especially, must study geography," North Korea said. "When we talk about the Korean Peninsula, it includes the territory of our republic and also the entire region of (South Korea) where the United States has placed its invasive force, including nuclear weapons. When we talk about the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, it means the removal of all sources of nuclear threat, not only from the South and North but also from areas neighboring the Korean Peninsula." The U.S. removed its tactical nukes from South Korea in the 1990s.

The statement from Pyongyang is seen as a blow not just for Trump's efforts to make it appear the talks are progressing but also for South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who has said Kim is willing to negotiate away his nuclear arsenal. "The blunt statement could be an indicator that the North has no intentions to return to the negotiation table anytime soon," Shin Beomchul at Seoul's Asan Institute for Policy Studies tells The Associated Press. "It's clear that the North intends to keep its nukes and turn the diplomatic process into a bilateral arms reduction negotiation with the United States, rather than a process where it unilaterally surrenders its program."

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