SEOUL, South Korea — Acknowledging what President Lee Jae Myung called a "harsh reality," South Korea is moving away from its long-held policy prioritizing the complete and immediate denuclearization of its northern neighbor.Speaking on July 23, Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said Seoul is now aiming to first freeze North Korea's current nuclear program, offering reciprocal concessions for interim steps short of full disarmament.Under such an approach, negotiations would focus first on halting the production and advancement of nuclear weapons, rather than demanding the dismantlement of North Korea's existing arsenal at the outset.South Korea's policy shift comes as North Korea deepens its ties with Moscow and Beijing.On July 25, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia was preparing to receive an additional 30,000 North Korean troops to support its war against Ukraine.
Meanwhile, international pressure on Pyongyang appears less coordinated than in previous years.Since returning to the White House, President Trump has repeatedly referred to North Korea as a "nuclear power," a rhetoric contrasted with longstanding U.S.policy.
Although Washington has not formally recognized North Korea as a legitimate nuclear weapons state, last year, the administration's National Security Strategy omitted any mention of North Korea or denuclearization, in a stark departure from previous doctrines.China has also appeared to place less public emphasis on denuclearization.While Beijing has stopped short of formally recognizing Pyongyang as a nuclear-armed state, President Xi Jinping made no mention of denuclearization during his visit to Pyongyang in June, contrasting with Beijing's longstanding endorsement of a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula.Seeing great powers moving away from a key demand that concerns its regime survival, North Korea has, in recent months, grown louder and more confident in refuting any calls of denuclearization.In June, leader Kim Jong Un's siste...