Trump Open to Phased Nuclear Deal with North Korea, South Korea Says

Lee, speaking following the G7 summit in France, stated he urged the former U.S. president to pivot toward immediate, incremental steps—such as freezing nuclear material production and halting ICBM development—rather than insisting on complete disarmament as a prerequisite for talks. Trump reportedly acknowledged that this approach could be a viable path forward.

This shift reflects a growing consensus among regional leaders that the status quo is increasingly untenable. Since the collapse of the 2019 Hanoi summit, North Korea has significantly expanded its nuclear arsenal and deepened its military cooperation with Russia, effectively insulating itself from the impact of traditional sanctions. Lee noted that Pyongyang is currently capable of producing 10 to 20 additional nuclear weapons annually, rendering previous disarmament models largely ineffective against the current reality of a maturing nuclear state.

Beyond security, the two leaders touched on industrial cooperation, with Trump inquiring about South Korea’s capacity to support U.S. naval readiness through its world-leading shipbuilding sector. While no formal negotiations have commenced, the dialogue suggests that Washington is exploring more flexible frameworks to mitigate the risk of further nuclear expansion. Any such pivot, however, faces significant hurdles, including the need for robust verification mechanisms and the political challenge of managing domestic expectations in both Washington and Seoul regarding a strategy that stops short of immediate, total denuclearization.