South Korea would accept a Trump-Kim deal to freeze North Korea's nuclear programme, president tells BBC

South Korea's president told the BBC he would accept a deal between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un under which North Korea would freeze its nuclear weapons programme for now, describing the move as an interim emergency measure rather than denuclearisation. He framed the proposal as a realistic stepping stone that could reduce immediate risks while the long-term goal of denuclearisation remains intact.

He estimated that North Korea is producing an additional 15 to 20 weapons a year and argued that a freeze could be a feasible, realistic alternative to an outright endgame. "The question is whether we persist with fruitless attempts towards the ultimate goal [of denuclearisation] or we set more realistic goals and achieve some of them," Lee said. He added that, so long as South Korea does not abandon the long-term objective, there could be tangible benefits to halting further nuclear and missile development as an emergency measure.

Lee, who took office in June, said there are clear benefits to North Korea stopping its nuclear and missile development, provided the long-term aim of denuclearisation is not abandoned. He said the question is whether the international community should persist with what he described as "fruitless" attempts toward denuclearisation or instead pursue more incremental milestones that could build trust and reduce tensions. He suggested there could be a pathway to a renewed dialogue between Trump and Kim if a sense of mutual trust persists, noting that the two leaders "seem to have a degree of mutual trust." The interview was conducted at Lee's office in Seoul ahead of his trip to the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Lee told the BBC that he would not rule out the possibility of the two leaders re-engaging, given what he described as their shared interests and a potential for progress on security guarantees and regional stability. He said achieving a staged approach could ultimately support the long journey toward denuclearisation, even if the immediate goal remains a freeze rather than complete dismantling.

The interview coincides with a broader evaluaton of regional security dynamics as South Korea navigates a shifting balance among major powers. Lee spoke while his country holds the presidency of the UN Security Council for the month, a role that has placed Seoul at the center of diplomacy on North Korea during a period of stalled negotiations. When asked about the Security Council's effectiveness in pressing North Korea to return to talks, Lee suggested that the UN is not performing perfectly but remains valuable. "While it's clear the UN is falling short when it comes to creating a truly peaceful world, I still believe it is performing many important functions," he said, adding that reforming the Security Council was "not very realistic." he.

Lee acknowledged that China, North Korea's most consequential regional ally, has a decisive say in the North's calculations. He said it was "impossible to know" whether China is enabling North Korea's nuclear weapons programme, but based on his current knowledge, that was not his understanding. The Xi Jinping era has seen Beijing publicly embrace another circle of diplomacy that includes Russia and North Korea, a development that has complicated Seoul's traditional balance between Washington and Beijing.

Earlier this month Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed Kim Jong Un to a military parade in Beijing alongside Russia's Vladimir Putin, and, unlike in past meetings, China did not publicly mention the North's nuclear weapons or denuclearisation. Lee described the burgeoning ties among Beijing, Moscow and Pyongyang as placing South Korea in a "very difficult situation" and said Seoul would continue to work closely with the United States and Japan to preserve stability on the peninsula. "Seeing China, Russia and North Korea become so close is clearly not desirable for us," he said, adding that he would seek a measured policy that preserves alliances while avoiding alienating any party.

South Korea's traditional balancing act—deep ties with the United States and robust economic links with China—has become more complex in an era of aggressive U.S. trade policy and evolving great-power competition. Lee said he would stand with the United States in the current global order, but he stressed that Seoul would not want to burn bridges with Beijing or Moscow. The president also cited the proverb, "after the rain, the ground hardens," to describe how a crisis could be transformed into a firmer foundation for diplomacy, should trust be rebuilt.

On the domestic front, Lee's government has faced turbulence connected to the previous administration's policies toward North Korea and to recent disputes with Washington over trade and investment. The U.S. trade dynamic has affected Seoul's calculations, including a high-profile incident in which immigration authorities detained hundreds of Korean workers building a car-battery factory in Georgia. The workers were released a week later after Seoul pressed Washington for a resolution. Lee said he felt a profound sense of responsibility for the distress his citizens endured, calling the episode "shocking" and arguing that it underscored the need to strengthen Seoul's alliance with Washington rather than abandon it.

In domestic governance, Lee has moved quickly to recalibrate inter-Korean engagement. He halted government transmissions of loudspeaker broadcasts into North Korea, arguing that the measures' strategic value did not justify the cost in terms of trust and risk. He said restoring trust between the North and South was essential for any meaningful dialogue, and his government would pursue a policy of measured, incremental steps rather than bold, high-risk moves.

North Korea has rejected Lee's outreach, calling him "delusional" and a "daydreamer" while insisting it will not relinquish its nuclear arsenal. Pyongyang has long asserted that its weapons are essential for national security and has rebuffed multiple invitations to return to talks since the breakdown of negotiations in 2019 during Trump’s first term.

Lee acknowledged that the path to peace on the peninsula may hinge on patience, pragmatic concessions, and an alignment of interests among allies. He stressed that Pyongyang's willingness to halt new weapons development could reduce risk in the short term, provided it is coupled with verifiable steps toward denuclearisation in the longer horizon. He also reminded listeners that the global order is changing, and South Korea must remain agile, working with Washington, Tokyo and others to manage risk while keeping doors open for dialogue.

As Lee prepares for his UN General Assembly appearance and continued diplomacy, his advisers suggest a cautious, outcome-oriented approach. The core question remains whether a freeze could serve as a meaningful bridge toward the long-term denuclearisation goal, and whether North Korea would be willing to walk that bridge when the time is right. Until then, Seoul appears intent on combining deterrence, alliance-building, and incremental diplomacy to navigate a volatile regional landscape.