South Korea's Lee vows to pursue 3-phase 'denuclearization plan' for North Korea

South Korea’s president said he will pursue a three-phase "denuclearization plan" to persuade North Korea to abandon its nuclear program, seeking to freeze Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs in the first stage.

In the second and final stages, Lee Jae Myung said he will seek to "reduce and dismantle" North Korea's nuclear program, Seoul-based Yonhap News reported, citing an official summary of an interview ahead of his visit to Tokyo for a summit with Shigeru Ishiba, Japan’s prime minister.

Speaking with Japanese daily Yomiuri Shimbun, Lee said Seoul is pursuing the strategy through active efforts for talks with Pyongyang based on its "solid" alliance with the US.

It was the first time that Lee, who took office in early June, announced such a plan to persuade North Korea to eliminate its nuclear weapons program

The North has already rebuffed Lee's peace overtures and offers for dialogue.

While maintaining close coordination with its longtime ally the US, Lee said that Seoul will actively pursue inter-Korean dialogue to establish conditions for the goal.

After holding summit talks with Ishiba, Lee will fly to Washington to hold his maiden summit with US President Donald Trump next Monday.

On relations with Japan, Lee said his government will uphold past agreements on the issues of wartime forced labor and former sex slave for Japanese troops, euphemistically called "comfort women."

"It is very difficult for the South Korean people to accept these agreements," he said. "But as they are promises made between countries, it would be undesirable to overturn them."

Lee, who previously criticized the agreements, said that as president he intends to honor them in the interest of bilateral ties.

Describing China as "a close country, inseparable geographically and economically," Lee said that Seoul seeks to cooperate where possible and compete where necessary, based on comprehensive considerations between the two neighbors.

Writing by Aamir Latif