South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has urged the United States to ease sanctions on North Korea in exchange for a freeze on the development of new nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missile technology, Reuters and Yonhap reported, citing an interview with The New York Times.
“I believe that a compromise between sanctions, which are not very effective anyway, and a halt to the development of additional nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missile technology could be of great benefit“, Lee said.
He added that in the current situation, attempts to completely denuclearize the Korean Peninsula “guarantee that nothing will be achieved“.
Pyongyang announces new missile test
At the same time, the Korean Central News Agency reported, that the DPRK's General Rocket Agency successfully tested its latest weapons on September 20. The test was supervised by Kim Jong-un.
“This is undoubtedly a demonstration of the country's most advanced technical capabilities in the field of defense and a significant improvement in the armed forces“, KCNA quoted him as saying.
The agency did not specify what type of new weapons system was or what its characteristics were.
Kim Jong-un also said that possessing such technology was crucial for the country's war readiness and the future development of the armed forces. He called the new system “an “irresistible force“ and said that its development would be “an incurable headache“ and “a very cruel, inevitable and powerful blow“ for North Korea's opponents.
According to KCNA, Kim expressed gratitude to the Main Directorate of Rocket Science, relevant research institutes and the developers of the new system.
The topic comes against the backdrop of increased North Korean missile tests and the ongoing debate over whether sanctions against Pyongyang can be used as leverage to limit the country's nuclear and missile programs.
Sources: Reuters, Yonhap, The New York Times, Korean Central News Agency