Lee urges Trump to seek nuclear freeze, not full disarmament, from North Korea

President Lee Jae Myung, in New York for the UN General Assembly, urged Donald Trump to demand that North Korea freeze its nuclear weapons program rather than dismantle it outright.

Speaking to The New York Times and the Associated Press on Monday (local time), Lee said he believed "there is a deal of considerable value" between sanctions that have not proven particularly effective and a halt to further development of nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missile technology.

Lee said that simply holding out complete denuclearization as the ultimate goal would make it nearly impossible to achieve anything under current circumstances.

His remarks pointed to the need for an agreement in which North Korea freezes its nuclear and missile development in exchange for the United States easing sanctions against the North.

"To change the direction of a moving vehicle, you must first bring it to a stop," Lee said, adding that "a phased approach of freeze, reduction and elimination is a practical way to effectively address the North Korean nuclear issue."

Lee had laid out a similar vision at last year's UN General Assembly, where he introduced what he called the "END Initiative" — centered on Exchange, Normalization and Denuclearization — calling for comprehensive dialogue to end an era of hostility and confrontation on the Korean Peninsula.

He also invoked his proposed three-stage denuclearization framework, saying the international community must pool its wisdom around "a practical, phased solution that begins with a 'halt' to the advancement of nuclear and missile capabilities, moves through a process of 'reduction,' and arrives at 'elimination.'"

Lee also described Trump as a leader capable of bringing North Korean leader Kim Jong-un back to the negotiating table.

The assessment echoes the "peacemaker-pacemaker" concept Lee put forward at last year's South Korea-US summit.

With a surprise meeting between Lee and Trump widely anticipated during the US visit, Lee made clear that while he intends to preserve the South Korea-US alliance, he will avoid direct South Korean involvement in any war involving Iran.

With the United States pressing South Korea for a "contribution" related to the Strait of Hormuz, Lee drew a firm line against deploying South Korean troops directly into the conflict between Washington and Tehran.

"I will not allow South Korean forces to be drawn into a conflict between the United States and Iran," Lee said, adding that the government is "reviewing an expansion of operations by the naval unit deployed in the Gulf of Aden to protect South Korean vessels and oil supply routes."

The remarks reaffirmed his longstanding position that combat deployments must be distinguished from defensive activities aimed at ensuring maritime security.

With the government on the verge of finalizing negotiations with the United States over a $350 billion investment package, Lee also signaled that he is not rattled by pressure from Trump.

"I fully understand that, from his perspective, a US president can make various statements," Lee said.

The comment was widely read as an acknowledgment that Trump, facing midterm elections in November, may press the South Korean government with domestic political considerations in mind.

Lee reserved judgment on the status of Kim Ju-ae, the daughter of Kim Jong-un.

"We are paying attention to her rising profile and keeping many possibilities open regarding her," Lee said.

He went on to say, "However, I think we should be cautious about expressing a definitive view at this stage."

Kim Ju-ae has recently appeared at a series of major North Korean events and military-related schedules, fueling speculation that she is being groomed as the next successor.