Lee’s phased nuclear plan faces uncertainty over North Korean acceptance

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has proposed a phased strategy for addressing North Korea’s nuclear and missile programmes, presenting denuclearisation as a long-term process rather than an immediate outcome. In a keynote speech to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, Lee described a step-by-step sequence aimed at achieving the ultimate goal of North Korea’s denuclearisation. The proposal comes amid uncertainty over whether Pyongyang would accept an incremental approach from Seoul.

Analysts cited by the South China Morning Post characterised the plan as pragmatic, while cautioning that its prospects remain uncertain. North Korea’s response, and whether it is willing to engage with the proposed sequence, will be central to the plan’s viability. Lee has also called for Washington to ease sanctions in return for North Korea stopping its nuclear programme, according to the source material.

That position links possible economic pressure relief to a halt in nuclear activity, while the wider proposal seeks to establish a gradual route towards denuclearisation. The available account does not specify how Pyongyang has responded to Lee’s speech or provide details of the proposed stages. It therefore remains unclear whether the plan can secure acceptance from North Korea, which South Korea regards as its rival in the unresolved nuclear and missile dispute.