Lee Proposes Sanctions Relief for Nuclear Freeze
According to the New York Times, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has called on Washington to relax its sanctions against North Korea, offering in return a deal in which Pyongyang would halt its nuclear weapons programmes. Speaking to the newspaper, Lee argued that swapping sanctions — which he said have limited effectiveness — for an end to further work on nuclear arms and intercontinental ballistic missile technology would carry real benefits.[S1]
Lee further argued that sticking with denuclearisation as currently pursued would yield no results. He explained that if a freeze on nuclear weapons were first achieved, mutual incentives and concessions could foster trust, which might in time persuade North Korea to scale back its nuclear stockpile.[S1]
Warnings on North Korea's Growing Arsenal
Lee described the present deadlock as carrying too much danger to leave in place, pointing to South Korean estimates that the North can now turn out, or possibly already turns out, between 10 and 20 more nuclear weapons annually. He cautioned that if North Korea concludes it holds enough nuclear arms and missiles to ensure its own survival, it may be drawn to sell them abroad for profit — a scenario he called genuinely perilous.[S1]
Shift in Policy and Stalled Inter-Korean Relations
South Korean authorities have indicated a shift away from prioritising denuclearisation, adopting instead a peace-first stance toward the North, and Lee committed in 2025 to respecting North Korea's system and pursuing peaceful coexistence. Ties between the two Koreas nonetheless stay frozen. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has dropped Pyongyang's reunification goal, labelling the South its most hostile state and directing that frontline defences be strengthened.[S1]
US President Donald Trump wants to arrange another meeting with Kim, and the South Korean president has expressed enthusiasm for such talks taking place. Lee plans to lay out his vision for peace and coexistence on the Korean Peninsula before the United Nations this week, during the UN General Assembly.[S1]
