Lee Jae-myung’s North Korea Policy Faces Scrutiny, Says CNN’s Jim Sciutto

Concerns are mounting over President Lee Jae-myung’s North Korea policy, with fears that his administration may repeat the appeasement approach seen during the Moon Jae-in government. CNN anchor and chief national security analyst Jim Sciutto, in an exclusive interview with The Korea Daily on July 16 at the Aspen Security Forum, said, “Even within the South Korean government, there are concerns that the Lee administration could be swayed by North Korea.” Sciutto, who has covered North Korea-related issues for over 20 years, authored The Return of Great Powers in 2024, which explored inter-Korean relations and dynamics among major powers. He also extensively covered all three summits between former U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

In the interview, Sciutto shared his views on how rapidly changing global affairs could impact U.S.–Korea relations and the Korean Peninsula.

Q: North Korea–Russia ties are tightening. Your thoughts?
A: “It’s a troubling alignment for the U.S. While there’s no formal military alliance or mutual defense treaty between them, shared interests have led to increased cooperation. The fact that both are nuclear powers adds strain to the U.S. nuclear deterrence. North Korea is likely to try to further enhance its strategic value within this framework.”

Q: Is there a chance President Lee Jae-myung might be swayed by North Korea, as Moon Jae-in was?
A: “Some South Korean officials have expressed concern about that possibility. Within the U.S. as well, opinions on how to approach North Korea are divided—between hardliners who say ‘now is not the time for dialogue’ and those who argue that ‘talks are necessary under any condition.’ South Korea has also alternated between hardline and conciliatory policies without achieving significant results. So we’ll have to wait and see what direction President Lee ultimately takes. For now, his administration’s stance remains unstable.”

Q: How might North Korea interpret the recent U.S. airstrikes on Iran?
A: “North Korea likely viewed it with concern, recognizing both U.S. capability and resolve. The Iran strike demonstrated that the U.S. can carry out precision attacks deep inside hostile territory, even targeting nuclear facilities. Israel first disabled Iran’s air defenses, and the U.S. struck swiftly and decisively. What’s also noteworthy for North Korea is that President Trump showed he was willing to authorize such operations.”

Q: How serious is the threat from North Korea’s military?
A: “U.S. intelligence agencies, the Department of Defense, and members of Congress all see North Korea as a real threat. After China and Russia, North Korea and Iran are most frequently mentioned, and North Korea is viewed as more dangerous. It’s one of the few countries with actual nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). It also has mobile launchers and submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs). Considering its capability to strike the U.S. mainland, the threat level is high.”

Q: Is a U.S. military strike on North Korea possible?
A: “The situation is different from Iran. North Korea is already a nuclear state. It’s unclear whether a scenario similar to the Iran strike—disabling air defenses in advance—would even be possible. A strike aimed at deterring North Korea’s nuclear capability would almost certainly lead to military conflict. President Trump has repeatedly said he does not want a new war. Moreover, due to the geographic proximity of South Korea and North Korea, the situation requires extreme caution. North Korea has weapons aimed at the South that could be launched without warning. A U.S. strike on North Korea could quickly trigger retaliation against South Korea.”

Q: Will President Trump maintain the Washington Declaration?
A: “It’s too early to tell. The current administration is reviewing the entire U.S. military posture and defense strategy. Even U.S. aid to Ukraine was paused and later resumed. That review will inevitably affect South Korea. Therefore, alongside potential U.S. troop reductions in Korea, the future of the Washington Declaration must also be closely watched.”

Q: When can we expect a clear North Korea policy from a second Trump administration?
A: “President Trump is known for handling multiple issues at once and frequently changing his stance. As seen in the trade war and military aid to Ukraine, today’s policy can be reversed tomorrow. So his North Korea policy could emerge at any time without warning. We simply have to keep watching.”

Q: How would you evaluate the Trump administration so far?
A: “It’s still evolving. During Trump’s first term, advisors worried he would withdraw U.S. support for Ukraine, exit NATO, or weaken defense commitments to South Korea and Japan. But none of that has happened so far. However, there are still uncertain variables—such as troop deployments. And since Trump’s administration views China as the top challenge, it’s unclear whether Korea and Japan will receive sufficient attention.”

☞ About Jim Sciutto:
Jim Sciutto is a veteran journalist with over 28 years of experience covering foreign affairs and national security, including work at ABC. He currently anchors The Brief with Jim Sciutto on CNN, where he provides in-depth reporting on U.S. foreign policy, security, and intelligence issues. Sciutto received two Emmy Awards in 2004 and 2005 for his reporting on the Iraq War. From 2011 to 2013, he served as Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to then-U.S. Ambassador to China, Gary Locke. He holds a degree in Chinese history from Yale University.

BY KYEONGJUN KIM [kim.kyeongjun1@koreadaily.com]