South Korea ditches 'denuclearization-first' strategy. What will Pyongyang do next?

In this photo provided by the North Korean government, its leader Kim Jong Un, front right, visits a new facility to produce nuclear bomb fuels at an undisclosed place in North Korea Wednesday, June 3, 2026. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. KCNA/KNS/AP hide caption toggle caption KCNA/KNS/AP SEOUL, South Korea — Acknowledging what President Lee Jae Myung called a "harsh reality," South Korea is moving away from its long-held policy prioritizing the complete and immediate denuclearization of its northern neighbor. Speaking on July 23, Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said Seoul is now aiming to first freeze North Korea's current nuclear program, offering reciprocal concessions for interim steps short of full disarmament. Under such an approach, negotiations would focus first on halting the production and advancement of nuclear weapons, rather than demanding the dismantlement of North Korea's existing arsenal at the outset. South Korea's policy shift comes as North Korea deepens its ties with Moscow and Beijing. On July 25, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia was preparing to receive an additional 30,000 North Korean tr...