Lee Jae Myung Proposes Phased North Korea Denuclearization Plan

During the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, Lee Jae Myung proposed a three-step blueprint for peace on the Korean Peninsula. Breaking with decades of policy, Lee argued that immediate total denuclearization is unrealistic and urged the United States to ease sanctions in exchange for a freeze on Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs. He proposed a phased approach of stopping, reduction, and dismantlement to prevent North Korea from expanding its arsenal or exporting weapons for profit.

Lee described U.S. President Donald Trump's resolve to revive direct talks with Kim Jong Un as a "hard-won opportunity for change." On the sidelines of the assembly, Lee and Trump held a 30-minute summit where Trump reaffirmed his willingness to engage in dialogue with North Korea. The leaders also welcomed progress on a $350 billion South Korean investment package in the U.S., including gas and nuclear power projects in Texas and an Alaska LNG project. They further agreed to deepen cooperation on shipbuilding and the transfer of wartime operational control from Washington to Seoul.

These diplomatic efforts occur amid heightened tensions, including North Korean ballistic missile launches on September 20. While Trump has scaled back joint military exercises to signal non-hostility, Kim Yo Jong dismissed the possibility of denuclearization, stating that those who believe it is possible are "idiots knowing nothing of the world."