South Korea’s president has indicated he would be willing to accept a potential arrangement between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un that halted North Korea’s nuclear weapons production, even if it fell short of full disarmament, the BBC reports.

Lee Jae Myung regards a freeze as a pragmatic measure that could reduce immediate regional dangers while keeping the longer-term ambition of denuclearisation alive according to the BBC. The London-based broadcaster notes that North Korea is thought to be adding up to 20 warheads annually, having declared itself a nuclear state in 2022 and repeatedly dismissed international calls to relinquish its arsenal.

Efforts to persuade Pyongyang to disarm have made little progress since talks collapsed in 2019, during US President Trump’s first presidency. The BBC says President Lee believes renewed engagement between the former US leader and the North Korean ruler could serve both South Korea’s security interests and wider global stability.

Lee entered office earlier this year following months of scandal, and the eventual impeachment of his predecessor, Yoon Suk Yeol, and has sought to present himself as a centrist willing to reduce tensions on the peninsula. In conversation with the BBC ahead of his appearance at the United Nations General Assembly, he underlined his view that partial steps such as a production freeze could be more achievable than demanding immediate dismantlement.

South Korea currently holds the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council. Yet, as was highlighted in his interview, attempts at collective action have repeatedly stalled, with China and Russia blocking moves for tougher sanctions. The South Korean leader acknowledged the limitations of the UN framework but argued the body still serves vital functions.

Regional diplomacy has grown more complicated with China, Russia and North Korea displaying closer ties at recent public events, including a military parade in Beijing where Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin stood alongside Kim Jong Un. The BBC observes that this alignment leaves Seoul in an unenviable position, balancing its security alliance with the United States against its heavy economic reliance on China.

Despite publicly affirming South Korea’s place alongside Washington and Tokyo in the emerging geopolitical order, Lee is keen not to close the door on dialogue with Moscow. The BBC says he has maintained that, while Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is unacceptable, practical cooperation with all major powers remains necessary to preserve peace.