Seoul drops ‘denuclearisation-first’ stance on Pyongyang

South Korea has abandoned its campaign prioritising pressure on the North to dismantle its nuclear weapons, a minister said on Thursday, marking a fresh overture by Seoul’s dovish government.President Lee Jae Myung has reversed the stance of his hawkish predecessor since taking power in Seoul in June 2025, offering nuclear-armed Pyongyang talks without preconditions.The hermetic leadership of North Korea has yet to respond to his repeated offers.But in a Thursday meeting with local reporters, Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said South Korea has shifted its priorities from disarmament, focusing instead on halting the expansion of Pyongyang’s nuclear activities.“The government has effectively abandoned the previous administration’s denuclearisation-first approach and its insistence on the prior dismantlement of North Korea’s nuclear programme,” he said according to a transcript of the meeting seen by AFP.00:58North Korea to arm navy with nuclear weapons and build bigger warshipsThe long-term goal of denuclearisation remains unchanged, the minister said, but stymieing new developments will be the administration’s focus.