Meanwhile, Washington's top diplomat has made some new comments on North Korea that could signal a toughened U.S. stance.
Lee Ji-won has more.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reiterated that Washington's goal on North Korea is the regime's final, fully verified denuclearization,... but with the slight addition of "less risk in conventional measures."
Pompeo explained before a U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing on Tuesday that the U.S. objective also includes a brighter future for the North Korean people.
This is the first time Pompeo has mentioned the risks associated with North Korea's conventional weapons.
While the issue of denuclearization has been discussed by Pyeongyang and Washington,... alleviating military tensions caused by conventional weapons has been discussed by the two Koreas alone,... and Pompeo's latest comments have raised speculation on whether the U.S. stance has gotten tougher on the North.
Pompeo also answered "yes" when asked if the strong sanctions will remain in place during the denuclearization talks with the North.
He said, the U.S. also forced a global coalition at the United Nations to enforce the toughest ever sanctions on North Korea.
And to a question on whether he thinks North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is a tyrant, Pompeo answered "sure" and that he has said that in the past too.
This is also uncommon, as the U.S. has been careful not to make sensitive and aggressive comments towards the regime since the start of their dialogue.
The comments come amid a standstill between the North and the U.S., as Pyeongyang seeks partial alleviation of sanctions for step-by-step denuclearization measures, while the U.S. seeks concrete denuclearization steps and an overall roadmap from the North in exchange for sanctions relief.
And with the South Korea-U.S. summit to take place later this week,... where the leaders are expected to look for a middle ground to get Pyeongyang and Washington back on track for dialogue,... observers are keeping a close eye on whether Pompeo's firm stance is just rhetoric,... or an actual change in the U.S. stance.
Lee Ji-won, Arirang News.