South Korean President Lee Jae-myung urged President Donald Trump to consider easing sanctions on North Korea in exchange for halting its development of nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) technology. In an interview with The New York Times published on the 21st, Lee said denuclearization was unattainable as an immediate goal under current conditions and argued that sanctions with little practical effect could be exchanged for a freeze on further weapons development. He proposed a phased process involving the stopping, reduction and dismantlement of North Korea’s arsenal, backed by reciprocal incentives intended to provide Kim Jong Un and other officials with security without relying on nuclear arms. Lee estimated that North Korea could produce, or may already be producing, 10 to 20 additional nuclear weapons annually and warned that exports could follow once Pyongyang believes its arsenal is sufficient, creating a dangerous point. He plans to advance the proposal at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Lee also said he understood Trump’s requests concerning support related to the Strait of Hormuz and investment in the United States, but said South Korea’s Constitution prohibits sending troops to wars already underway between third countries. Seoul is separately working with U.S. negotiators to implement a $350 billion deal agreed with Trump last October to reduce tariffs, with possible South Korean offers including a gas power plant in Texas and eight nuclear power plants across the United States. Trump and Kim first met in 2018, but Kim’s younger sister, Kim Yo Jong, later said North Korea’s position toward the U.S. had not changed, casting doubt on a future meeting despite Trump’s claim in August that he would meet Kim in 2026.