South Korea shifts North Korea policy from denuclearization to 'peace-first'
En resumen
- South Korea's Unification Minister Chung Dong-young announced a shift from a denuclearization-first policy for North Korea to a "peace-first" approach, aiming to resume stalled talks by offering reciprocal benefits for halting nuclear arsenal manufacturing.
- This change comes as Pyongyang continues to advance its nuclear program.
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Por qué importa
The Lee Jae Myung government has moved away from the previous administration's "denuclearization first" policy, including CVID, towards a "peace-first" approach. This shift is in response to North Korea's continued advancement of its nuclear program.
SEOUL, July 23 (Yonhap) -- Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said Thursday the government has shifted away from a policy focused on the denuclearization of North Korea, instead pointing to peace as a precondition to resuming stalled talks with Pyongyang.
Chung's remarks come as Pyongyang has been doubling down on its nuclear and missile programs, while seeking to have its status as a nuclear state recognized by other world powers, notably China and Russia.
"For the past year, the Lee Jae Myung government has practically abolished the previous government's stance centered on achieving denuclearization first, or its complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization (CVID) policy, and shifted toward a 'peace-first' policy," Chung said at a press briefing marking his one year in office. Chung took office as the first unification minister under the Lee administration on July 25, 2025.
Chung said the government was currently working to specify a strategy to offer reciprocal benefits in the event the North halts the manufacturing of new nuclear arsenals.
"The reason is that North Korea continues to advance its nuclear program even at this moment," he said, noting the government saw no reason to delay.
Chung explained that the United States and China have also abandoned their longstanding policy focused on North Korea's denuclearization, stressing that efforts to resume stalled talks with Pyongyang should come first.
North Korea has shown little interest in dialogue with South Korea despite reconciliatory gestures from the Lee government, instead reiterating its commitment to expanding its nuclear forces.
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South Korea will specify a strategy to offer reciprocal benefits to North Korea.
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Preguntas abiertas
- What specific reciprocal benefits will South Korea offer?
- How will North Korea respond to this new policy?
- What are the detailed strategies for the 'peace-first' policy?
