Seoul: South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has announced a comprehensive three-stage plan aimed at the denuclearization of North Korea. Lee emphasized the importance of dialogue with Pyongyang, leveraging South Korea’s strong alliance with the United States to achieve this goal.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, in an interview with Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun before his visit to Tokyo for summit talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, President Lee outlined the initial stage of his plan, which involves freezing North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs. The subsequent stages focus on the reduction and dismantlement of these programs, with details provided in a transcript released by the presidential office.

President Lee underscored South Korea’s commitment to maintaining close coordination with the United States while actively pursuing inter-Korean dialogue. This strategy, he believes, will create the necessary conditions to persuade North Korea to abandon its nuclear ambitions. Despite these diplomatic efforts, North Korea has recently dismissed Lee’s overtures, questioning Seoul’s role as a viable partner.

Following his talks with Prime Minister Ishiba, President Lee is scheduled to travel to Washington for a significant summit with US President Donald Trump on August 25. In addition to discussing denuclearization, Lee proposed cooperation on an Arctic shipping route involving both Koreas, the US, Japan, and Russia, as suggested in a summary of the interview from his office.

On the topic of relations with Japan, President Lee assured adherence to existing agreements on sensitive historical issues, including wartime forced labor and the “comfort women” issue. He also addressed Tokyo’s request to lift restrictions on seafood imports from eight Japanese prefectures, citing ongoing safety concerns among South Koreans.

Regarding China, President Lee characterized it as a close neighbor with whom South Korea seeks to cooperate and compete as needed, emphasizing the importance of comprehensive considerations in the bilateral relationship.