South Korea’s Lee Proposes “Realistic” Path to Peace with North, Prioritising Trust-Building Over Denuclearisation

Hadisur Rahman, JadeTimes Staff

H. Rahman is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Asia

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Image Source: Park Chan-kyong, SCMP

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has laid out a new roadmap for peace on the Korean peninsula, urging that inter-Korean exchanges and confidence-building take precedence while shelving immediate demands for Pyongyang’s denuclearisation.

Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly on Monday, Lee introduced what he called the “END Initiative” short for Exchange, Normalisation, and Denuclearisation. He argued that durable peace could only be achieved by first fostering cooperation and normalised relations, before tackling North Korea’s nuclear arsenal.

“It is time to seek realistic and rational solutions based on a cool-headed perception that denuclearisation cannot be achieved in the short term,” Lee said. “Exchanges and cooperation are a short cut to peace a timeless lesson from inter-Korean history.”

Lee emphasised that Seoul respects the North’s political system, has no intention of unification by absorption, and does not seek to engage in hostile acts. He called for an end to “the vicious cycle of unnecessary inter-Korean military tension,” reiterating his mantra that “the most certain peace is a state where there is no need to fight.”

Analysts say Lee’s initiative marks a departure from the long-standing joint stance of Seoul and Washington that North Korea must first take tangible steps toward denuclearisation before any exchanges or moves toward normalisation.

Koh Yu-hwan, emeritus professor at Dongguk University, said the proposal flips the order: “The key idea is to pursue denuclearisation through normalisation of ties instead of the other way around. Pyongyang will never give up its arsenal unless hostility from the U.S. and its allies is removed.”

He pointed to China–South Korea normalisation in 1992 as a model, arguing that mutual recognition and exchanges paved the way for stability in Northeast Asia.

Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies, described the sequencing as a “major shift” that could ease Pyongyang’s security concerns. “By pursuing phased, pragmatic solutions, South Korea reaffirms its role as a ‘pacemaker’,” he said.

Lee’s remarks came just days after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un signalled openness to meeting former U.S. President Donald Trump again, provided Washington drops its precondition of denuclearisation.

Kim told the North’s parliament he had a “good memory” of Trump and would consider dialogue if the U.S. softened its stance. His comments followed Trump’s August summit with Lee in Washington, where both leaders discussed rekindling diplomacy with Pyongyang.

Trump and Kim held three high-profile summits between 2018 and 2019, but talks collapsed over whether denuclearisation should precede or follow trust-building measures. Since then, Pyongyang has expanded its nuclear capabilities, with Kim declaring the North would “never abandon” its arsenal.

Lee has floated the possibility of suspending allied military drills in exchange for a halt to North Korean nuclear and missile activities a proposal analysts say could help break the deadlock.

While some experts see the END Initiative as the “last major peace offer” to bring Pyongyang back to talks, others are sceptical.

Hong Min, a senior analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification, argued that exchanges may not appeal to the North. “Lee’s speech would have been much more attractive to Pyongyang had it focused on reducing security threats and regime guarantees, rather than placing exchanges front and centre,” he said.

Despite doubts, Lee insists his phased approach reflects the “most realistic” option in the current climate. “Through comprehensive dialogue centred on Exchange, Normalisation, and Denuclearisation, we must end the era of hostility and usher in a new era of peaceful coexistence and shared growth,” he told the UN.