South Korean president proposes easing North Korea sanctions for weapons freeze

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has called on the United States to reduce sanctions against North Korea. In return, he wants North Korea to stop developing nuclear weapons. Lee made this proposal in an interview with The New York Times on September 22, 2026.

Lee said there is no other realistic option for dealing with North Korea. He also said that US President Donald Trump is the only leader who can bring North Korea to the negotiating table. Lee supports Trump meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un again.

South Korea has changed its approach. It used to demand that North Korea give up all nuclear weapons first. Now it is focusing on peace before denuclearization. Lee planned to speak about this at the United Nations General Assembly that week.