If it works, the source said, the model could also be applied to facilities other than the main nuclear complex in Yongbyon and move in a step-by-step manner until the entire weapons of mass destruction program is fully closed and all sanctions are lifted. “This is important, as it allows the U.S. and the North to test their intentions and build trust, but in a way that furthers denuclearization and sanctions relief,” the source said. Verifying and inspecting Yongbyon’s dismantlement as well as the nuclear freeze could be tricky, he said, noting the need for a detailed agreement. A freeze would mean not making any more fissile material and warheads.

U.S. President Donald Trump walked out of the Hanoi summit without a deal after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un asked for the removal of nearly all sanctions in return for Yongbyon’s dismantlement. Trump told reporters at the time that Yongbyon wasn’t enough because there were other facilities, including a uranium enrichment plant, that the U.S. knew about. “With the failure of Hanoi, they are mindful that being flexible, while at the same time making a strong offer to North Korea that tests its intentions while building trust, is important,” the source said. “(The new model) does not give North Korea the amount of sanctions relief it wanted and asks a little more in return from the North.” The White House apparently wants to move the ball forward, even if it means offering several other concessions.

If North Korea agrees to the dismantlement of Yongbyon and a complete nuclear freeze, the U.S. is considering signing a declaration formally ending the 1950-53 Korean War, according to the source. In addition, it would be willing to establish liaison offices in each other’s capitals and set up a separate channel or office to coordinate the sustained recovery of American troops’ remains from the North. “The White House is open to many ideas to incentivize the North to make what they call ‘a critical first step’ on denuclearization,” the source said. “Their first goal in the talks is to prove to the North that they can trust the U.S. and that Washington wants to do something historic to ensure the hostile intent of both sides is now firmly in the past.”