Link to Article: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/1/7/seoul-calls-for-freeze-of-norths-nuclear-programme-chinese-mediation
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has urged China’s President Xi Jinping to act as a mediator in efforts to improve ties with North Korea and revive stalled negotiations over its nuclear programme during a state visit to Beijing. Lee proposed that Pyongyang freeze its nuclear activities — meaning no new weapons production, no transfer of nuclear materials abroad, and no further development of intercontinental missiles — in exchange for “compensation or some form of return,” a step he described as a gain toward eventual denuclearisation. Speaking in Shanghai at the end of his four‑day visit, Lee said he hoped China could help convey Seoul’s position to Pyongyang, noting that communication channels with the North were essentially blocked and that trust was at zero. He framed the nuclear freeze as the first step toward gradual reduction and a long‑term goal of a nuclear‑free Korean Peninsula, stressing a phased approach rather than immediate disarmament.
South Korea’s nuclear proposal to China signifies a potential decrease in decade long tensions between the Koreas. North Korea has drawn an increasingly large focus on their nuclear program in the past several years while South Korea remains nuke free. If even considered by North Korea, this deal could be a prominent milestone in lessening regional tensions and rebuilding relations. South Korea’s reliance on China as a mediator also goes to show China’s influence as a regional hegimon, potentially brokering and financially contributing to this agreement.
This development could prove beneficial to a number of actors. North Korea, while it may have to sacrifice its nuclear security, could gain much needed financial assistance amidst widespread food shortages. Both South Korea and China would benefit from decreased national security risks and their North Korean neighbor would have weakened nuclear capabilities. That said, I suspect Kim Jong-un will respond dismissively to the proposal given his nuclear centric defense strategy throughout the past several decades. The U.S. and Japan, though not directly mentioned, could play a role in this as well with the intent to minimize North Korea’s arsenal.
This event can be seen through the lens of realism and the security dilemma. North Korea relies on its nuclear arsenal as a necessity for national security, a deterrence of threats from states such as the U.S, Japan, and South Korea. Neighboring states, in turn, see North Korea’s development of nuclear weapons as a direct threat to their security, prompting not only disputes, sanctions, and escalated tensions, but also increased militaries of their own. While trust and relations could be built in the long run, ultimately, North Korea will have to make a decision to either put national security at risk for economic gain, or to keep their system as is.