Lee Jae Myung Reaffirms South Korea Commitment To North Korea Denuclearisation Talks
Lee Jae Myung urges continued North Korea denuclearisation efforts.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Monday reaffirmed that the goal of North Korea’s denuclearisation must not be abandoned, even as geopolitical tensions in the region intensify amid high-level diplomatic activity involving China, the United States, and North Korea. Lee made the remarks during a press conference marking his first year in office, a tenure that began after months of political instability triggered by his predecessor’s controversial martial law declaration.
Addressing the long-standing security challenge posed by Pyongyang, Lee said South Korea must remain committed to the objective of denuclearisation, stressing that Seoul itself cannot pursue nuclear armament in response. “We should not give up on the goal of denuclearisation because we cannot pursue nuclear armament ourselves,” Lee said, warning that any move toward nuclearisation in the region could trigger a wider cascade of proliferation.
He argued that if South Korea were to acquire nuclear weapons, it could prompt Japan and Taiwan to follow suit, potentially transforming East Asia into a “nuclear flashpoint.” The remarks came as Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Pyongyang for a two-day visit, following recent diplomatic engagements in Beijing with US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The visits come at a time when nuclear negotiations between North Korea and Washington remain stalled, despite continued international pressure and sanctions.
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China remains North Korea’s most important diplomatic and economic partner, providing critical support despite extensive global sanctions. The White House had previously stated that Xi and Trump “confirmed their shared goal to denuclearise North Korea” during their Beijing summit, although Pyongyang has continued to harden its position. Kim Jong Un’s sister recently described the country’s nuclear programme as “the line of no retreat,” signalling no willingness to compromise.
Lee also cautioned that South Korea’s export-dependent economy would struggle under severe international sanctions if it attempted to develop nuclear weapons in violation of global norms. “We simply cannot afford to become like North Korea,” he said, underscoring the economic risks tied to nuclear escalation. While reaffirming the long-term goal of denuclearisation, Lee suggested a more incremental approach, advocating for limited short-term objectives such as securing a moratorium on the production of nuclear materials as a practical first step toward renewed dialogue with Pyongyang.
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