S. Korea’s Leader Calls for End to North Korean Nuclear Production
(MENAFN) South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday called for an end to North Korea’s production of nuclear weapons and fissile materials, shifting focus from full denuclearization to a more immediate freeze, media reported.
Addressing international investors in New York, Lee emphasized a pragmatic approach to engagement with Pyongyang.
“The emphasis is on achieving security and economic gains by opening dialogue with North Korea to halt nuclear weapons and nuclear material production, rather than pursuing denuclearization,” the South Korean daily quoted Lee as saying.
His comments came just two days after addressing the United Nations General Assembly, where he acknowledged the improbability of near-term disarmament on the Korean Peninsula.
“North Korea appears to have already sufficiently secured the nuclear weapons necessary for regime maintenance, and intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) technology, capable of bombing the US, is also nearly at its final stage,” Lee added Thursday.
Tensions escalated further Friday after South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young revealed new intelligence estimates, saying Pyongyang could be in possession of up to 2,000 kilograms of highly enriched uranium — a key component for nuclear weapons.
North Korea has repeatedly insisted its nuclear arsenal is "irreversible."
Citing data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), analysts believe North Korea held approximately 50 nuclear warheads as of January, unchanged from the previous year. However, its stockpile of fissile material could potentially allow for the construction of up to 40 additional weapons.
Since taking office in June, President Lee’s administration has aimed to revive dialogue with Pyongyang, pivoting from hardline rhetoric to strategic engagement.
In line with that effort, Chung said Thursday in Seoul that the government is considering suspending live-fire drills and military field exercises near the heavily militarized border with the North.
"It is the Unification Ministry's position that it is fair to suspend shooting drills and field trainings in regions near the Demilitarized Zone," he stated.
The potential suspension of such military activities would mark a significant shift in Seoul's defense posture, as the Lee administration seeks to lower tensions and reopen channels of communication across the 38th parallel.
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