"Halting Nuclear Development in Exchange for Sanctions Relief" ... UN General Assembly Address at Dawn

[Anchor]

As President Lee Jae-myung arrived in the United States, he previously proposed in an interview with foreign media to exchange sanctions relief against North Korea for a halt to North Korea's nuclear weapons development. He also emphasized dialogue without preconditions, drawing attention to whether specific remarks will be made in his address before the UN General Assembly early tomorrow morning (September 23).

Kang Min-u reports from New York.

[Reporter]

An interview on North Korea policy that President Lee Jae-myung, who is visiting New York to attend the UN General Assembly, conducted with foreign media last week has been released.

President Lee said, "Exchanging sanctions against North Korea, which have had little practical effect, for a halt to North Korea's development of nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles has significant value."

He also warned that North Korea possesses the capability to produce, or is already producing, 10 to 20 additional nuclear weapons each year, and that North Korea succumbing to the temptation of exporting them to make money in the future would be a truly dangerous moment.

As sanctions aimed at isolating North Korea have become less effective due to shifts in international affairs such as the Russia-Ukraine war, he argued that North Korea should first be brought to the negotiating table, followed by halting its nuclear development and taking phased steps toward building trust and disarmament.

In another interview, he noted that both South Korea and the United States "are willing to engage in dialogue with North Korea without preconditions," raising expectations that sanctions against North Korea or North Korea-U.S. dialogue could be addressed in a potential meeting with U.S. President Trump during the UN General Assembly.

[Wi Sung-lac / Director of National Security Office (yesterday): There will be separate contacts in various formats with leaders of major countries, including the United States and Australia.]

Attention is also focused on whether the leaders of South Korea and the United States will discuss investments in the U.S. ahead of an official announcement.

President Lee Jae-myung plans to unveil an initiative for peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula during his UN General Assembly address, drawing keen interest in how the international community, including the United States and North Korea, will respond.

Camera by Jung Sang-bo | Video by Lee Seung-jin | Graphics by Cho Sooin
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.