President Lee Jae-myung mentions the possibility of sanctions relief if North Korea halts its nuclear program

President Lee Jaemyung said in an interview with The New York Times and the Associated Press that sanctions on North Korea could be eased if it stops developing additional nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). He said it would be meaningful to trade the current sanctions for a halt to North Korea's nuclear development, and that making denuclearization the sole goal would make substantive progress difficult. President Lee explained that South Korea and the United States are willing to engage in dialogue with North Korea without preconditions, and mentioned U.S. President Donald Trump as someone who could bring Kim Jong Un to the negotiating table. He also pointed out that sanctions on North Korea have low effectiveness, and that security risks could increase if North Korea's nuclear and missile capabilities become even more advanced. However, experts warned that regarding this proposal, if sanctions are lifted while North Korea's already possessed nuclear forces remain intact, South Korea's security burden could increase. President Lee is visiting New York, the United States, to attend the UN General Assembly, and is stressing the need for peace on the Korean Peninsula and the resumption of dialogue.