On June 16, during the Group of Seven (G7) summit in France, U.S. President Donald Trump met with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and stated that it was time to focus attention on the North Korean issue.
On the afternoon of June 19, President Lee held a press briefing at the Blue House’s Chunchugwan to discuss the outcomes of his European tour. He provided details about his 90-minute conversation with President Trump during the official G7 summit dinner.
President Lee remarked that he had the opportunity to engage in an in-depth conversation with President Trump for over 90 minutes at dinner. It was even more substantial than the formal summit meetings. It primarily discussed the North Korean nuclear issue.
During their talk, President Trump mentioned to President Lee that he had posted a photo on social media of himself walking with Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea, from their first summit in 2018. This demonstrated Trump’s ongoing interest in North Korean affairs. President Lee also noted that during the G7 welcoming event, Trump had inquired about the progress of the North Korean situation.
At dinner, President Trump expressed regret that North Korea hadn’t taken possible measures before fully developing nuclear weapons. President Lee advised that the North Korean nuclear issue should not be approached in the same manner as other international relations.
President Lee stated that President Trump agreed with this perspective. He seemed to acknowledge the lack of suitable solutions, which appeared to be a significant concern for him.
Lee also explained his proposal for a phased approach to the North Korean nuclear issue during their conversation.
President Lee noted that the assessment is that North Korea likely possesses a significant number of nuclear weapons and continues to produce enough fissile material for about 10 to 20 nuclear weapons annually. They also appear to be in the final development stages of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).
He continued that in this situation, North Korea insists on recognition of its nuclear status instead of discussing denuclearization, while the international community maintains that denuclearization cannot be abandoned. This impasse makes dialogue impossible. Lee proposed to Trump a phased approach, starting with halting the enhancement of nuclear and missile capabilities, leading to reduction and eventual dismantlement.
According to President Lee, Trump responded to this proposal by saying that that could be one way to approach it. He will give it serious consideration.