South Korea will no longer place immediate denuclearisation as the entry condition for talks with North Korea, Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said on Thursday, describing a policy move that retains the end goal of a nuclear-free peninsula but replaces "denuclearisation first" with a "peace first" emphasis.
At a press briefing, Chung - as quoted by his ministry - said: "The ultimate goal of denuclearisation has not been abandoned, but denuclearisation first has." He explained that Seoul's new strategy seeks to secure an early halt to North Korea's nuclear activities as a preliminary step toward broader progress.
Chung outlined that South Korea is working on a strategy designed to initially freeze Pyongyang's nuclear programme. He warned that continued delays in engaging could allow North Korea to further expand its arsenal, noting that Pyongyang remains active in maintaining and developing nuclear capabilities.
Specifically, Chung said North Korea continues to operate centrifuges at underground uranium-enrichment facilities and runs a plutonium-producing reactor at its Yongbyon site, and that its capacity to produce nuclear warheads is rising.
The minister argued that insisting on denuclearisation as a prerequisite has been an obstacle to talks, especially during a period when formal inter-Korean dialogue had been suspended for seven years. "If denuclearisation first is placed at the entrance to dialogue, the reality is that dialogue cannot begin," he said, adding that Seoul has reframed its objective as achieving a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula.
Chung also described the current diplomatic posture of Pyongyang as resistant to engagement. Despite South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's measures to ease tensions - including suspending anti-Pyongyang loudspeaker broadcasts and taking steps to limit the launching of propaganda leaflets by activists - North Korea has rejected Seoul's overtures.
According to Chung, Pyongyang has said it has no interest in Seoul's proposals or in resuming dialogue, and has accused President Lee of maintaining a confrontational stance by preserving close ties with the United States.
Chung nonetheless suggested there remains "strategic demand" for renewed talks both in North Korea and in the United States. He pointed to anticipated meetings between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping as potentially pivotal diplomatic opportunities, and urged Seoul to intensify its own diplomacy in advance of such high-level talks.
The minister also addressed shifts in North Korea's rhetoric and how Seoul might respond. He noted that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un declared in late 2023 that the two Koreas are separate hostile states rather than partners aiming for eventual unification, which Chung described as a fundamental change from previous North Korean language about the South.
In response, Chung has advocated adopting that language tactically, proposing a transition to a "peaceful two-state" relationship as a potential intermediate stage toward eventual unification. He further proposed using the term "Choson" - an abbreviation of North Korea's formal name - instead of the customary South Korean term when referring to the North.
Chung said experts are currently discussing that naming proposal and that it will take time for wider public debate to unfold.
Contextual note: The government describes the policy shift as keeping the long-term aim of denuclearisation intact while changing the sequencing to attempt to create conditions for renewed dialogue.