Seoul: President Lee Jae Myung has declared his intention to implement a three-stage denuclearization strategy for North Korea, emphasizing active dialogue with Pyongyang through a robust alliance with the United States. In an interview with Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun, conducted prior to his visit to Tokyo for discussions with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Lee outlined his plan to initially freeze North Korea's nuclear and missile initiatives.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Lee detailed that the second and final stages involve the reduction and dismantling of North Korea's nuclear capabilities, as per a script from the presidential office. South Korea is set to maintain strong U.S. coordination while vigorously seeking inter-Korean dialogue to cultivate favorable conditions for achieving this objective.
This marks the first instance where Lee, who assumed office in early June, has unveiled the three-stage approach to persuade North Korea to relinquish its nuclear arsenal. North Korea has recently dismissed Lee's peace proposals, claiming that Seoul is not a viable diplomatic partner.
Following the summit with Ishiba, Lee is scheduled to visit Washington for a significant meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on August 25. During the interview, Lee also suggested the development of an Arctic shipping route as a potential collaborative venture among the two Koreas, the U.S., Japan, and Russia.
Regarding relations with Japan, Lee affirmed his administration's commitment to honoring previous agreements on wartime forced labor and the issue of former sex slaves, known as "comfort women." Despite previously criticizing these agreements, Lee now emphasizes the importance of policy consistency and maintaining national trust, while also considering the perspectives of the Korean public and affected families.
He expressed his desire for Seoul and Tokyo to address historical grievances and improve bilateral relations. The 2015 comfort women agreement, signed under President Park Geun-hye and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, faced challenges following a 2018 South Korean Supreme Court ruling on forced labor, which strained ties during the Moon Jae-in administration. The Yoon Suk Yeol government in 2023 proposed compensating victims through a public foundation, excluding contributions from Japanese companies, which helped ease tensions.
On the topic of lifting import restrictions on seafood from eight Japanese prefectures, Lee voiced caution due to ongoing safety concerns among South Koreans. Addressing relations with China, Lee described it as a "close country, inseparable geographically and economically," advocating for cooperation where feasible and competition where necessary, based on comprehensive evaluations.