In a stark warning delivered during his New Year's news conference today, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung highlighted the escalating threat posed by North Korea's nuclear program, stating that Pyongyang is producing enough fissile material annually to manufacture 10 to 20 nuclear weapons.
President Lee emphasized that this rapid output could soon lead to excess arsenal being exported beyond North Korea's borders, creating a profound global danger.
"Even now, nuclear materials sufficient to produce 10 to 20 nuclear weapons a year are still being produced in North Korea," President Lee told reporters. He further cautioned, "At some point, North Korea will have secured the nuclear arsenal it believes it needs to sustain the regime, along with ICBM capabilities capable of threatening not only the United States but the wider world. And once there is excess, it will go abroad – beyond its borders. A global danger will then emerge."
The President underscored the urgency of resuming diplomatic dialogue between the United States and North Korea, advocating for a pragmatic approach to curb Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions.
He noted that while complete denuclearization may be challenging, efforts should focus on halting further production of nuclear materials, preventing exports, and limiting the development of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).
President Lee also addressed broader regional stability, expressing his administration's commitment to supporting the U.S.-North Korea talks and pursuing inter-Korean peace as a foundation for long-term economic growth. "There is a benefit to making the North stop making nuclear materials and not export nukes and stop developing ICBMs," he added.
This statement comes amid ongoing tensions on the Korean Peninsula, with North Korea continuing to advance its weapons programs despite international sanctions and diplomatic overtures. The South Korean government calls on the international community to unite in addressing this threat through strengthened sanctions, dialogue, and vigilance.