Lee says Iran war makes N. Korea less likely to give up nukes

SEOUL, June 10 (Yonhap) -- The U.S.-Iran war has made North Korea even less likely to give up its nuclear weapons program, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said in an interview published Wednesday.

Lee made the remark in a recent interview with The Economist on the occasion of the first anniversary of his inauguration, adding the "unique personality" of U.S. President Trump can be "very helpful" in bringing the North back to dialogue.

Lee also reaffirmed South Korea's own commitment to nonproliferation, telling the British journal it is "not desirable nor realistic" for the country to have nuclear weapons.

On defense matters in general, he said, "When it comes to the defense of our nation, we must take matters into our own hands," according to the journal.

Addressing the political situation following the turmoil of former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law declaration in 2024, Lee said the country can "move beyond this normalization of the abnormal" and even "develop into a nation that leads the world."

He suggested a basic income grant as a way to "distribute some of the excess profits to the general public," referring to the recent debate about how to share the windfall gains of chip giants such as Samsung Electronics and SK hynix amid an artificial intelligence-related boom.

He also admitted that the possibility of him being impeached or jailed after leaving office is "pretty high," depending on how his various trials linked to his previous terms as mayor and governor unfold.

President Lee Jae Myung gestures to a reporter during a press conference on June 8, 2026, marking the first anniversary of his inauguration on June 4 the previous year. (Yonhap)