N.Korea Wants to Separate Denuclearization and Verification

North Korea claimed on Wednesday that denuclearization and the "complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement" of its nuclear weapons the U.S. had demanded are "separate issues."

The claim came just a day after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un committed himself to "working towards complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula" in a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Singapore.

It was made by the Choson Sinbo, a pro-Pyongyang mouthpiece in Japan that normally faithfully reproduces the party line.

"Claims that favor CVID instead of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula are being disseminated," the newspaper said, but insisted they are "distortions of information and attempts to sway public opinion" -- in other words, fake news.

It seems the thrust is to put the focus on denuclearization of the entire peninsula rather than leaving the ball in North Korea's court alone, including the pullout of U.S. troops and weapons in South Korea the North has called for.

It also described the situation as "two countries fighting and pointing nuclear weapons at each other," suggesting that North Korea should be recognized as a nuclear power.