President Lee Tells Trump N. Korea Nuke Issue Needs Different Approach

By Park Boram

SEOUL, June 19 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung said Friday he told U.S. President Donald Trump that the North Korean nuclear issue should not be handled the same way as those of other countries during their recent conversation at the Group of Seven (G7) summit in France.

Lee revealed details of his conversation with Trump at a press briefing on the results of his 10-day trip to Europe that ended Thursday. The two leaders spoke with each other on several occasions during the summit, including at a dinner banquet on Tuesday.

During the conversation, Trump expressed regret for failing to take appropriate action on the North Korean nuclear issue before the country effectively acquired nuclear weapons, Lee said.

In response, Lee said he clearly told Trump that the North Korean nuclear issue should not be handled the same way as those of other countries. Trump agreed with the point, Lee said, adding, "He (Trump) seemed to be concerned because of the lack of a proper solution."

"It is clear that the North Korean nuclear issue ... should not be handled the same way the Middle East issue was resolved," Lee said.

Lee said he proposed to Trump a phased approach to the North Korean nuclear issue as opposed to a principled one, involving first halting the country's production of nuclear materials and shipping existing nuclear materials overseas before pursuing long-term denuclearization.

Lee has long stressed the importance of pursuing a short-term goal of halting Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs before seeking the broader objective of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula.

In response to his proposal, Trump said that could be one way, adding that he would think about it.

The president said he would continue efforts to resume severed communications with North Korea, although tensions between the two Koreas are expected to persist for a "considerable period of time."

"It has become difficult for South Korea to open a path for resolving Korean Peninsula issues and promoting peaceful coexistence" at a time when all communication channels with North Korea have been strained, the president said.

"North Korea considers that the U.S. plays a critical role in determining the security of the North Korean regime," the president noted, adding that Seoul will work to facilitate U.S.-North Korea dialogue under such circumstances.

The president also noted he asked Pope Leo XIV to visit North Korea and the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), a buffer area between the two Koreas, when he met with the pope on Monday at the Vatican.

During the meeting, Lee asked the pope to visit South Korea next year on the occasion of World Youth Day, which will be hosted by the country, and to use that opportunity to visit North Korea, including the DMZ if possible, Lee said.

"The pope said he would actively consider and pursue (the proposal)," the president said.