Lee asks Trump to consider different approach to North Korea's duclearization

President Lee Jae Myung said Friday that he told U.S. President Donald Trump that the North Korea issue needs to be handled in a unique manner and suggested a phased approach to denuclearization during their talks at the Group of Seven (G7) summit in France.

He further relayed that “sanctions and pressure are ineffective” in persuading North Korea to give up its nuclear and missile programs, Lee said in a press briefing where he personally explained the outcome of his 10-day trip to Europe, which took him to Belgium, Italy and France, adding that he said the effectiveness of the international sanctions regime has diminished due to strengthened cooperation between North Korea and Russia amid the war on Ukraine.

“I made it clear that we must not approach the North Korean nuclear issue in the same way we treat other countries," Lee said, adding that Trump also agreed to this view. “However, he appears to be struggling to find a suitable solution.”

During the trip, which wrapped Thursday, Lee held summits with EU leaders, visited the Vatican to meet with Pope Leo XIV and also attended the Group of Seven (G7) summit in France’s resort town of Evian.

Over Tuesday and Wednesday, Lee and Trump had multiple encounters during the G7 gathering. On Tuesday, they chatted briefly during the photo session for attending leaders and were able to converse for over 90 minutes as they were seated next to each other during the gala dinner hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron.

"During the photo session, he asked first about how the North Korean issue was progressing, so the conversation flowed naturally,” Lee said regarding his chat with Trump.

"I was told that President Macron intentionally seated us together because he thought President Trump and I would have a lot to talk about," Lee said, taking the opportunity to thank Macron for this arrangement.

On June 13, just hours after declaring a peace deal with Iran, Trump posted a photo on his social media platform, Truth Social, of him taking a walk with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un after their first summit in Singapore in June 2018.

"President Trump mentioned first that he had posted the photo he took with North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-un on social media,” Lee said. “He also said that it is time to pay attention to the North Korean issue."

Lee also clarified the Blue House statement that he had proposed to Trump at the G7 summit photo session Tuesday that he "resolve the Korean Peninsula issue just as you resolved the Middle East issue."

“While the aspect of needing to alleviate the problem is the same as with the Korean Peninsula issue, it must not be done in the same way as resolving the Middle East issue,” Lee told reporters.

According to Lee, Trump relayed that “it is regrettable that we couldn’t take possible measures at a stage before North Korea realistically possessed nuclear weapons."

Lee in turn explained the South Korean government's road map for resolving the North Korean nuclear issue through a phased approach.

Seoul estimates that Pyongyang already possesses a certain number of nuclear weapons and continues to produce nuclear material capable of making up to 20 nuclear bombs annually and seems to be in the final stages of an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead.

Lee pointed to the deadlock in negotiations as North Korea insists that it will engage in dialogue only if it is acknowledged as a nuclear state, while the international community cannot abandon denuclearization.

Lee said he explained that for the North, the nuclear issue “is a matter of regime security” and “can’t be resolved in the current manner.”

Lee noted that it will be beneficial for the international community if North Korea would halt its production of nuclear materials. He then explained to Trump his vision of a phased approach, “suggesting that we first halt production to prevent the export of nuclear materials, reduce production once stability is achieved and then move toward denuclearization once mutual trust is built and a situation is created where there is no longer a threat to the regime.”

Trump reportedly replied that could be “one method” and that he would give it “consideration.”

Lee said he had suggested that Trump "make realistic proposals rather than unconditionally demanding denuclearization" for the sake of North Korea-U.S. dialogue, noting that "it is no longer realistic or physically possible to stop” Pyongyang.

Likewise, Lee said that “everything is blocked for us,” conveying to Trump that “the United States is seen as the only counterpart with whom North Korea can talk.”

Regarding Seoul-Washington relations, Lee said the two sides shared the same vision for mutually beneficial cooperation, including in shipbuilding, and also agreed on the importance of trilateral cooperation with Japan.

Lee said that he clarified Trump’s frequent mention of 45,000 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea, telling him that it might have been higher at one point, but that the “current number is 28,500.” Lee said Trump appeared to understand and asked, “Is that the case?”

During the briefing, Lee revealed that he had requested that Pope Leo XIV visit North Korea during his trip to the Vatican on June 15.

Lee said that he also requested that the holy father visit South Korea on the occasion of World Youth Day, a major international Catholic festival set to be held in Seoul in August next year. He also asked the pope to pursue a visit to North Korea, and if possible, include a trip to the demilitarized zone.

The pope replied that he would actively consider such a visit, Lee said, noting Leo's special interest in Korea. The pope showed him his watch, revealing that it was a Samsung smartwatch, and also mentioned that he uses a Samsung Galaxy smartphone and drives a Hyundai.

Lee also discussed domestic issues, including the ballot shortage fiasco during the June 3 local elections that prompted ongoing protests and probes.

“If there is agreement between the ruling and opposition parties, shouldn't we at least pursue a one-point constitutional amendment regarding the National Election Commission?" Lee said.

He called the issue with the independent election watchdog “truly absurd."

Lee stressed, “As a neutral institution stipulated by the Constitution, it should bear responsibility for being free from any control, but it seems to have delved into freedom bordering on self-indulgence."

"We should not condemn the protests themselves aimed at securing sovereign rights, but rather protect them,” Lee said regarding the ongoing protests at the counting station. “However, one must not use this space to spread baseless false information to instigate social unrest.”

He warned there will be "stern punishment" for the use of violence at the protests in Songpa District, southern Seoul. 

Lee also took a cautious stance after South Korea's benchmark Kospi crossed the 9,000-point threshold for the first time on Thursday.

“Political polarization in the stock market actually leads to serious asset polarization,” Lee said. “We are making great efforts to alleviate it.”

BY SARAH KIM [[email protected]]