U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday ruled out the use of the so-called "Libya model" in efforts to pursue denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, saying that was not the model for the talks with Pyongyang.
Trump was responding to a suggestion by his national security adviser John Bolton.
"The Libyan model isn't a model that we have at all, when we're thinking of North Korea (DPRK)," Trump told reporters at the White House before meeting with visiting NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
"The Libyan model that was mentioned was a much different deal. This would be with Kim Jong Un -- something where he'd be there, he'd be in his country, he'd be running his country," added Trump who was scheduled to meet the top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on June 12.
Trump also cautioned that the Libya model could take place if "we don't make a deal, most likely."
Bolton put Pyongyang on alert recently with remarks suggesting the country's denuclearization should follow the Libya model obeyed by its leader Muammar Gaddafi who had given up atomic weapons and was later killed in a U.S.-backed uprising.
Pyongyang responded strongly on Wednesday, saying that the country may reconsider the scheduled U.S.-DPRK summit because of extremely provocative remarks made by American officials.
DPRK First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan said in a statement that Bolton had even urged the DPRK to abandon its nuclear arsenal first in order to receive benefits on trade, a stance similar to that taken with Libya.
"This is not about solving problems through dialogue, but is intended to replay the tragedy of Libya on the DPRK," he said, adding that Libya "has totally collapsed after handing over its fate to big powers."
However, the White House remains somewhat upbeat about the upcoming Trump-Kim summit in Singapore.
"Nothing has changed on our end," said White House Spokesperson Sarah Sanders at a daily briefing on Thursday.
"The president is fully prepared to have the meeting. But if not, that's okay too. And we'll see what happens beyond that," Sanders added.
