Seoul’s green space is a battleground for its mayor and South Korea’s president

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has called on the United States to reduce sanctions against North Korea in exchange for a commitment to freeze nuclear weapons development, according to the New York Times. The president believes that easing sanctions could be beneficial, but only if it leads to a halt in the advancement of nuclear weapons and long-range missile technology.

Lee stated that pursuing denuclearisation under the current conditions would not achieve anything, as cited in an interview by the newspaper. Once a nuclear weapons freeze is achieved, trust could be established through reciprocal incentives and concessions, ultimately persuading North Korea to reduce its nuclear arsenal, according to Lee.

The ongoing impasse is deemed too risky to persist, with South Korean assessments indicating that North Korea is capable of, or possibly already producing, an additional 10 to 20 nuclear weapons annually. Lee warned that once North Korea believes it has amassed enough nuclear weapons and missiles to ensure its survival, it may consider exporting them for financial gain, posing a significant threat.

South Korean officials have indicated a shift away from a "denuclearisation first" policy towards a "peace first" approach towards North Korea. President Lee has pledged to respect North Korea's system and seek peaceful coexistence with Pyongyang, although relations between the two nations remain strained. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has rejected the reunification policy of Pyongyang, labeling the South as its most dangerous adversary and ordering enhanced frontline defenses.

US President Donald Trump is attempting to arrange a new summit with Kim, and South Korean President Lee expressed a similar desire to see the talks materialize. Lee plans to present his vision for peace and coexistence on the Korean Peninsula to the United Nations General Assembly this week.