N. Korean leader removes major nuclear sticking point

South Korean President Moon Jae-in said on Thursday North Korea hasn't asked for the withdrawal of US troops from the Korean Peninsula as a precondition for abandoning his nuclear weapons. If true, this would remove a major sticking point to a nuclear disarmament deal.

Moon said, however, that North Korea still wants the United States to end its "hostile" policy toward the North and offer security guarantees. It has typically linked US "hostility" to the 28,500 US troops stationed in South Korea.