Seoul: Unification Minister Chung Dong-young announced a significant policy shift regarding North Korea, emphasizing a peace-first approach over denuclearization as a precondition for resuming talks with Pyongyang. This marks a departure from previous strategies that prioritized the complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization (CVID) of North Korea. According to Yonhap News Agency, Chung's statement comes amid North Korea's continued development of nuclear and missile programs and its efforts to gain recognition as a nuclear state by global powers such as China and Russia. The minister's comments were made during a press briefing commemorating his first year in office under the Lee Jae Myung administration, which began on July 25, 2025. Chung highlighted that the government is formulating a strategy to provide reciprocal benefits should North Korea halt the production of new nuclear weapons. He emphasized the urgency of this strategy, citing North Korea's ongoing advancements in its nuclear capab ilities. Furthermore, Chung noted that both the United States and China have abandoned their previous focus on North Korea's denuclearization, advocating instead for renewed efforts to engage Pyongyang in dialogue. Despite South Korea's peace-oriented overtures, North Korea remains committed to expanding its nuclear arsenal, showing little interest in negotiating with the South.
