South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has urged the United States to consider easing sanctions on North Korea in exchange for Pyongyang freezing the development of its nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missile programmes.
Lee made the proposal in an interview with The New York Times, arguing that existing sanctions have not been particularly effective and that a nuclear freeze could provide a starting point for renewed negotiations.
“I believe there is significant value in a trade-off between sanctions — which are not particularly effective anyway — and a stop to the development of additional nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missile technology,” Lee was quoted as saying.
He said insisting on complete denuclearisation under current conditions would likely result in little progress. Instead, Lee proposed securing a freeze first, followed by reciprocal incentives and concessions that could gradually build trust and potentially lead to reductions in North Korea’s nuclear arsenal.
Lee also warned that allowing the current stalemate to continue could create greater security risks.
Citing South Korean assessments, he said North Korea may already have the capability to produce, or could be producing, an additional 10 to 20 nuclear weapons each year.
Lee warned that North Korea could eventually be tempted to sell nuclear weapons or related technology overseas if its leadership believes it has accumulated enough nuclear and missile capabilities to guarantee the regime’s survival.
South Korea has increasingly shifted from a “denuclearisation first” approach towards a “peace first” policy, with Lee previously pledging to respect North Korea’s political system and pursue peaceful coexistence.
However, relations between the two Koreas remain tense. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has abandoned Pyongyang’s previous reunification policy, labelled South Korea its most hostile state and ordered stronger defences along the border.
US President Donald Trump is seeking another meeting with Kim, while Lee has expressed support for renewed US-North Korea talks.
Lee is scheduled to present his vision for peace and coexistence on the Korean Peninsula during the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week.
