President Lee: "Will North Korea Give Up Its Nukes?... Peaceful Coexistence Over Unification"

On the 21st, President Lee Jae-myung stated, "Right now, we are in a situation where we should consider ourselves fortunate if war does not break out, let alone discuss unification." He added, "Even if we put unification on the back burner, we should do everything possible to achieve peaceful coexistence, and in this regard, I believe the role of the United States is extremely important."

President Lee Jae-myung is answering reporters' questions at the New Year's press conference held at the Blue House State Guest House on the 21st. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

At the New Year's press conference held at the Blue House State Guest House that day, President Lee said, "President Donald Trump of the United States is a rather unique individual, but that trait could be very helpful in resolving issues on the Korean Peninsula." He continued, "Since it is difficult for us to negotiate directly with North Korea, if the peacemaking efforts of President Trump succeed, it will also benefit the Korean Peninsula, so we will do our utmost to create the necessary conditions for that."

Regarding the issue of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, he questioned, "Ideally, yes, but do you think North Korea will give up its nuclear weapons?" He expressed skepticism, saying, "The stark reality of North Korea's possession of nuclear weapons and the desirable ideal of denuclearization-these two are difficult to reconcile."

President Lee reiterated his existing 'three-step denuclearization theory,' saying, "Ultimately, my view is to take a pragmatic approach. In the first stage, we should not abandon the ideal but pursue the most realistic negotiation to 'halt nuclear development.' Next, we should move to nuclear arms reduction talks, and in the long term, work toward complete denuclearization."