Chung Dong-young

South Korea adopts peace-first North Korea policy

South Korea has abandoned the denuclearization-first stance in favor of a peace-first strategy that prioritizes freezing North Korea’s nuclear program while pursuing a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula, with dialogue to resume after seven years. Officials say major powers have shifted away from denuclearization-first, outlining a path that includes freezing capabilities, potential arms reductions, and eventual denuclearization through renewed diplomacy.