South Korean President Lee Jae-myung: North Korea Sanctions Ineffective Amidst Russia Ties

Kathmandu. South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has stated that international sanctions imposed on North Korea's nuclear program are becoming ineffective, and that the growing military and political closeness between Moscow and Pyongyang is further weakening the effectiveness of those sanctions.

He also stated that this issue was discussed with US President Donald Trump during the recent G-7 summit in France.

According to President Lee, he clearly informed Trump that the sanctions and pressure imposed on North Korea have not yielded the expected results. Speaking to reporters in Seoul, he commented that the current policy against North Korea has not had an effect, and that Pyongyang has become stronger due to its military cooperation with Russia.

According to him, as Russia-North Korea relations deepen after the Ukraine war, even the limited assistance North Korea receives is becoming strategically important.

Since the 1950-53 conflict ended in a ceasefire and not a peace treaty, North Korea and South Korea are technically still in a state of war. The demilitarized zone dividing the two countries is still considered one of the most sensitive borders in the world.

Meanwhile, it is estimated that after US President Trump signed a deal to end the Middle East war, the administration's focus may shift to North Korea. During his visit to France, Trump reportedly told Lee during their meeting, 'It is time to pay attention to North Korea now.'

Trump had previously recalled his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and released old photos on social media. He has indicated his openness to meeting with Kim again, referencing the summit held in Singapore in 2018. 

However, claims that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has increased military aid to Russia during the Ukraine war are currently being raised by various parties. While North Korea's relations with China and Russia are expanding, Pyongyang has consistently called its nuclear program an 'irreversible' policy.

Earlier, the Trump-Kim summit in Hanoi in 2019 failed due to a lack of agreement on nuclear disarmament and sanctions relief. No formal progress has been made between the two sides since then.

Trump met with Kim three times during his first term, attempting to improve relations. During those meetings, he even commented that he had 'fallen in love' with Kim. However, those diplomatic efforts have not resulted in concrete agreements.

Currently, Trump has expressed a view different from the decades-old US policy, calling North Korea a 'nuclear-armed country,' which analysts say signals that Washington-Pyongyang relations could become active again in the future.