South Korean President Lee Jae Myung announced on September 22, 2026, a proposal to ease U.S. sanctions on North Korea in exchange for freezing its nuclear and missile programs, arguing that pursuing denuclearization under current conditions would be futile. By September 24, analysts described the phased approach as pragmatic but cautioned it hinges on North Korean acceptance.
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South Korea's Lee urges US to ease North Korea sanctions to freeze nuclear programs, NYT says Reuters
South Korean President Lee said that pursuing North Korean denuclearization under the current circumstances would accomplish nothing.
President Lee Jae Myung also said that pursuing Pyongyang's denuclearization under the current circumstances meant that nothing would be accomplished.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is urging Washington to ease sanctions on North Korea in exchange for freezing its nuclear and missile programs, an approach one North Korea expert called the “least bad option” for slowing the expansion of Pyongyang’s arsenal. South Korea’s president urges sanctions relief for a North Korea nuclear freeze, arguing talks offer the best chance to curb Pyongyang’
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s proposal for a phased approach to Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programmes is a pragmatic response, analysts say, but prospects for gaining its arch-rival’s acceptance remain uncertain. In a keynote speech to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, Lee laid out a long-term, step-by-step sequence for pursuing the ultimate goal of North Korea’s denuclearisation.