South Korea: Lee says Iran war makes North Korea less likely to give up nukes
Seoul, June 10
The US-Iran war has made North Korea even less likely to give up its nuclear weapons program, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said in an interview published on Wednesday.
Lee made the remark in a recent interview with The Economist on the occasion of the first anniversary of his inauguration, adding the "unique personality" of US President Trump can be "very helpful" in bringing the North back to dialogue.
Lee also reaffirmed South Korea's own commitment to nonproliferation, telling the British journal it is "not desirable nor realistic" for the country to have nuclear weapons.
On defense matters in general, he said, "When it comes to the defense of our nation, we must take matters into our own hands," according to the journal.
Addressing the political situation following the turmoil of former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law declaration in 2024, Lee said the country can "move beyond this normalisation of the abnormal" and even "develop into a nation that leads the world."
He suggested a basic income grant as a way to "distribute some of the excess profits to the general public," referring to the recent debate about how to share the windfall gains of chip giants such as Samsung Electronics and SK hynix amid an artificial intelligence-related boom.
He also admitted that the possibility of him being impeached or jailed after leaving office is "pretty high," depending on how his various trials linked to his previous terms as mayor and governor unfold, Yonhap news agency reported.
The trials are suspended while he is in office.
Meanwhile, the US military has launched strikes against Iran in response to the Iranian forces downing a US Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz, risking military escalation with Tehran, even as American President Donald Trump is seeking a deal to end the war.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Lee seems caught between a rock and a hard place. He's trying to maintain peace with the North while dealing with a volatile US administration under Trump. The basic income grant idea is interesting, though - especially for distributing chip profits. Wish more world leaders thought about social welfare like that.
Honestly, it's naive to think North Korea will ever give up nukes now. The Iran situation just proved that having nuclear weapons is the ultimate insurance policy against regime change. Look at how the US treats countries without nukes versus countries like Pakistan or North Korea that have them. Sad but true reality! 😔
Lee calling Trump's "unique personality" helpful for dialogue is diplomatic genius. But the whole situation is alarming - US striking Iran while Trump is supposedly seeking a deal? Contradiction much? South Korea needs to be careful not to get caught in the crossfire between US-China-North Korea dynamics. India should learn from their diplomatic tightrope walking.
The US military strikes against Iran really complicate everything. How can Trump expect to negotiate peace while launching attacks? That's not how diplomacy works. Also, Lee admitting he might be impeached or jailed after leaving office - that's either incredibly honest or a sign of political instability in South Korea. Basic income idea is cool though, very progressive.
As an Indian, I see parallels with our neighborhood dynamics. Just like Pakistan's nuclear program complicates things with China, North Korea's nukes make East Asia volatile. Lee's realism about taking defense into his own hands is smart - no nation should rely entirely on others for security. But basic income funded by chip profits? That's
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