South Korea’s Lee Urges US to Ease North Korea Sanctions in Exchange for Nuclear Freeze

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has urged the United States to consider easing sanctions on North Korea in exchange for an agreement by Pyongyang to freeze the development of its nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missile programmes.

According to an interview with The New York Times reported by Reuters, Lee said the current deadlock over North Korea’s nuclear programme was too risky to continue and argued that a phased approach could help restart negotiations.

Lee said sanctions relief could be exchanged for a halt to the production of additional nuclear weapons and long-range missile technology. He argued that once a nuclear freeze was achieved, trust could gradually be built through reciprocal incentives and concessions.

The South Korean president said assessments by Seoul indicate that North Korea may be capable of producing, or may already be producing, an additional 10 to 20 nuclear weapons annually.

Lee warned that North Korea could eventually seek to export nuclear weapons or related technology if its leadership concludes that it has accumulated enough weapons to guarantee the country’s survival.

South Korea has increasingly shifted from a “denuclearization first” strategy toward what officials describe as a “peace first” approach. Lee has pledged to respect North Korea’s political system, promote peaceful coexistence and restore communication channels between the two Koreas.

Relations between Seoul and Pyongyang remain strained, with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un describing South Korea as the country’s most hostile state and ordering stronger military defences along the border.

Lee also called for the resumption of direct talks between Washington and Pyongyang and urged efforts to formally end the Korean War and establish a lasting peace framework on the Korean Peninsula.

Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Lee reiterated his support for a phased process beginning with a halt to further advances in North Korea’s nuclear and missile capabilities, followed by reductions in its arsenal and, ultimately, denuclearization.

The White House and the U.S. State Department had not responded to requests for comment on Lee’s remarks at the time of the report.

Lee also expressed support for renewed dialogue between U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un, after previous negotiations collapsed over U.S. demands for North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons programme.

Analyst Jenny Town of the 38 North think tank said Lee’s proposal reflected recognition that North Korea’s nuclear capabilities have significantly expanded since the previous round of negotiations, making a phased approach more realistic.

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