The United States has reaffirmed its longstanding policy of pursuing the “complete denuclearisation” of North Korea, rejecting Pyongyang’s call to drop the demand as a condition for dialogue.

A State Department spokesperson confirmed on Tuesday that “the US policy is the complete denuclearisation of North Korea,” in response to media queries following North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s recent speech to his parliament.

Over the weekend, Kim had suggested he was open to renewed talks with Washington, provided the US abandons its denuclearisation objective. He also remarked that he held a “good memory” of US President Donald Trump, raising speculation of another round of Trump-Kim diplomacy.

Trump, for his part, has expressed willingness to meet Kim this year, fueling speculation of a possible engagement during the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju, South Korea, scheduled for October 31–November 1.

Observers note that Trump could be pivoting attention to North Korea as part of a broader push to secure a high-profile peace deal, which he often links to his aspiration for a Nobel Peace Prize. The former meetings between Trump and Kim — in Singapore (2018), Hanoi (2019), and Panmunjom (2019) — brought global attention but failed to produce a breakthrough.

With Washington holding firm on denuclearisation and Pyongyang insisting on security guarantees, prospects for renewed talks remain uncertain despite symbolic gestures from both sides.