South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has said that U.S. President Donald Trump has agreed to consider a phased strategy aimed at addressing North Korea’s nuclear and missile programmes, with an initial focus on short-term containment measures alongside a longer-term goal of complete denuclearisation.
Lee made the remarks on Friday, saying the proposal was discussed on the sidelines of the G7 summit in France, where he and Trump held informal talks on regional security issues.
According to Lee, Trump described it as “time to pay attention” to North Korea and signalled interest in reviving diplomatic engagement with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, although he expressed frustration over how best to proceed.
Speaking at a press briefing after returning from France, Lee said he had urged a step-by-step framework rather than immediate, sweeping demands.
“Without giving up on denuclearisation, I explained that we should go step by step — short term, medium term and long term — rather than immediately,” he said.
Under the proposed approach, Lee said the immediate priority would be to halt North Korea’s production of nuclear materials, prevent the transfer of weapons or related components abroad, and curb further development of intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) technology.
Lee added that Trump responded that the idea “could be one way” forward and said he would give it careful consideration.
The South Korean leader also warned that sanctions alone were unlikely to resolve the issue, arguing that North Korea already possesses nuclear weapons and continues to produce enough fissile material for an estimated 10 to 20 warheads annually.
He further noted that Pyongyang’s missile technology, including re-entry capabilities, was nearing advanced stages of development, while its growing military cooperation with Russia over the Ukraine war had weakened the impact of international sanctions.
Trump previously held landmark summits with Kim Jong Un during his first term, but negotiations collapsed in Hanoi in 2019 over disagreements on sanctions relief and denuclearisation steps. Since then, North Korea has declared its nuclear status irreversible.
In separate remarks, Lee also said Trump inquired about South Korea’s shipbuilding capacity, asking whether it could rapidly construct 10 U.S. naval vessels.
“I said of course it was possible and that we would do our best,” Lee said, noting that Seoul has already committed to major shipbuilding investments in the United States under a broader trade arrangement.
Lee added that his extended interactions with Trump during a G7 dinner allowed for more in-depth discussion than a formal summit might have permitted.
During his European visit, Lee also met several global leaders, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
He further revealed that during a Vatican visit, he invited Pope Leo to consider visiting the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea and possibly even North Korea itself an idea the pontiff said he would consider.
