South Korean President Lee Jae Myung says U.S. President Donald Trump is open to considering a phased approach to North Korea’s nuclear and missile programmes. Speaking on Friday, Lee said Trump agreed to review Lee’s proposal that focuses first on stopping or constraining North Korea’s nuclear and missile activities in the short term, while treating full denuclearisation as a longer-term goal.
Under Lee’s approach, the initial step is presented as a prioritisation of immediate restraints rather than requiring North Korea to complete denuclearisation at the outset. The accounts also indicate that the discussion is framed as a negotiation strategy intended to make progress in stages.
The reports do not provide further details on timing, specific verification measures, or how such a phased deal would be structured. They also do not include separate statements from the United States on the proposal beyond Lee’s characterization that Trump is open to considering it.
