SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea's liberal President Lee Jae Myung is calling for a practical, step-by-step approach to achieve North Korea’s nuclear disarmament, as the North ramps up weapons testing activities despite U.S. President Donald Trump's recent push to resume diplomacy.
“To change the direction of a moving vehicle, it must be brought to a halt first,” Lee told The Associated Press in written responses to questions before his departure
Monday to New York to attend the U.N. General Assembly. “A phased approach of stop, reduction and dismantlement is a practical way of effectively resolving the North Korean nuclear issue.”
Prospects for North Korea's early return to nuclear diplomacy are still unclear. Last month, Trump scaled back a major military exercise with South Korea in a conciliatory gesture toward North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who viewed it as an invasion rehearsal. But North Korea quickly rebuffed Trump's moves and escalated weapons tests.
North Korea's evolving nuclear program has raised questions about whether its nuclear disarmament can be achieved in a single step and given rise to calls for convincing North Korea to disarm in phases in return for corresponding economic and political benefits. Trump claimed last month that North Korea has 57 nuclear weapons, while some experts say the North has more than 100 warheads.
“Given the extent to which North Korea’s nuclear and missile capabilities have advanced, it is not a realistic solution to wait until complete denuclearization can be achieved all at once," Lee said. “This is because, in the interim, North Korea’s nuclear capabilities will continue to advance, escalating the threat.”
During the annual U.N. gathering, Lee said he would pursue “a phased and pragmatic solution to the North Korean nuclear issue” and build on his vision for promoting peace on the Korean Peninsula. Lee cited his recent offer for talks among concerned parties to formally end the 1950-53 Korean War, through which he said ways to curb North Korea's nuclear program could be explored.
There are concerns that a phased approach could eventually result in North Korea refusing to fully abandon its nuclear program after winning what it wants — like sanctions relief — in return for a partial surrender of its capability.
To prevent that, Lee called for comprehensive dialogue to establish a framework that benefits South Korea, the U.S. and North Korea alike, and stressed the need to show North Korea that “moving toward stable and lasting peace is a realistic and feasible path to a secure and prosperous future.”
Whatever approach the U.S., South Korea and their partners take, it's unclear whether North Korea would return to talks anytime soon.
When Trump, citing a “very good relationship” with Kim, scaled back the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise with South Korea last month, North Korea dismissed Trump's outreach, saying that just cutting the drill won't change its provocative nature. It has since performed three rounds of weapons launch events and unleashed numerous statements criticizing what it called U.S. hostilities. Experts say North Korea likely wants bigger U.S. concessions.
Lee, who hopes a resumption of Trump-Kim diplomacy would lead to reopening dialogue between the two Koreas, called Trump’s action “a deliberate step to send a clear message that the United States has no hostile intent toward North Korea.” He said both South Korea and the U.S. “remain open to engaging in dialogue with North Korea without preconditions.”
“What is needed now is a political decision at the leaders’ level. The two leaders should build trust and work together to identify a common ground, face-to-face,” Lee said.
Trump's social media post on the exercise's downsizing came without prior consultations with South Korea, and mentioned what he called Lee's refusal to join the U.S. in the “denuclearization” of Iran. This raised worries about the alliance between South Korea and the U.S.
Lee admitted Trump's decision came “somewhat unexpectedly.” But Lee said he would rather focus on the ultimate objective behind that decision, saying Trump expressed his commitment to creating conditions conducive to dialogue and that he shares the goal of reducing confrontation on the Korean Peninsula.
Lee said the strategic interests of South Korea and the U.S. are deeply intertwined across a wide range of areas and that he intends to build a more mutually beneficial partnership during the rest of Trump's term. For example, Lee said planned cooperation in shipbuilding will not only revitalize U.S. shipbuilding and naval power but also create new growth opportunities for South Korean businesses.
Lee said Friday that he won't let his military be drawn into the U.S.-Iran conflict. He said his government was considering expanding the operations of a naval unit deployed in the Gulf of Aden to protect South Korean vessels and oil shipping routes. Lee was expected to meet Trump on the sidelines of the U.N. meeting.
Lee said the U.N.-centered multilateral system faces serious challenges, including intensifying geopolitical conflicts. He said the existing multilateral system is failing to keep pace with common challenges like the climate crisis and the unintended consequences of the AI revolution.
Calling for reforms at the U.N., Lee said redundancy and inefficiency across the organization must be addressed. He said greater authority must be granted to those working in the field, so that crises can be tackled swiftly and effectively.
During the U.N. General Assembly, Lee said he'll also present South Korea's push for more people to benefit from AI advances and call on other countries to join the effort.
Asked about the prominent teenage daughter of the 42-year-old North Korean leader, Lee said that his government has taken note of “her rising status" and is keeping all possibilities open over her.
But Lee said “however, I believe we have to be careful about expressing a definite view at this stage.”
Lee's comments stand in contrast to the repeated assessments by South Korea's spy agency, which described her as Kim's likely heir. Some experts disagree with that view, citing North Korea's male-dominated power hierarchy.
