▲ President Lee Jae Myung (C) and first lady Kim Hea Kyung (R) arrive at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York on Sept. 21, 2026. (Yonhap)

NEW YORK, Sept. 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has called on the United States to ease its sanctions against North Korea in return for Pyongyang halting its nuclear weapons program, a U.S. news report showed Monday.

"I believe there is significant value in a trade-off between sanctions, which are not particularly effective anyway, and a stop to the development of additional nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missile technology," Lee said in an interview with The New York Times conducted last Friday.

Lee said there is no realistic alternative to the option although the bargain may be unpalatable, according to the interview.

Lee's call came as North Korea remains unresponsive to offers for dialogue from not only him but also U.S. President Donald Trump, at a time when North Korea has raised its diplomatic profile through closer ties with Russia while bolstering its nuclear arsenal.

Against such a backdrop, "aiming for denuclearization" would be unachievable, Lee said.

Lee has advocated a phased approach to the denuclearization of North Korea, beginning with halting and reducing, and ultimately eliminating the country's nuclear weapons program.

"Our estimates suggest that North Korea is now capable of producing, or may already be producing, an additional 10 to 20 nuclear weapons each year," Lee also said, sounding the alarm over the prospect of the North wanting to export nuclear weapons in the future.

In a separate interview with The Associated Press, also released Monday, Lee said both South Korea and the U.S. "remain open to engaging in dialogue with North Korea without preconditions."

Lee has vowed to play the role of a "pacemaker" in helping the U.S. resume dialogue with North Korea, saying it would also help thaw strained inter-Korean relations.

"What is needed now is a political decision at the leaders' level. The two leaders should build trust and work together to identify a common ground, face-to-face," the AP quoted Lee as saying.

During his attendance at the United Nations General Assembly this week, the president said he will underscore his vision for the phased denuclearization of North Korea, according to the AP.

"A phased approach of stop, reduction and dismantlement is a practical way of effectively resolving the North Korean nuclear issue," Lee was quoted as saying.

Lee arrived in New York on Monday for the U.N. General Assembly and is set to deliver a speech on Tuesday before heading to Mexico on Wednesday for a summit with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.

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