South Korea Offering Large-scale Aid Package for North's Nukes

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol speaking at the National Assembly in Seoul on March 10. Photo: AFP
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol speaking at the National Assembly in Seoul on March 10. Photo: AFP
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South Korea Offering Large-scale Aid Package for North's Nukes

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol speaking at the National Assembly in Seoul on March 10. Photo: AFP
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol speaking at the National Assembly in Seoul on March 10. Photo: AFP

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said Monday he will offer a wide-ranging aid package to the North in return for denuclearization, a deal long seen as a non-starter for Pyongyang.

The proposal comes days after the North threatened to "wipe out" Seoul authorities over a recent Covid-19 outbreak and less than a month after leader Kim Jong Un said his country was "ready to mobilize" its nuclear capability in any war with the United States and the South, AFP reported.

But calling denuclearization "essential" for lasting peace on the peninsula, Yoon on Monday detailed a large-scale aid plan that would include food and energy as well as help in modernizing infrastructure such as ports, airports and hospitals.

"The audacious initiative that I envision will significantly improve North Korea's economy and its people's livelihoods in stages if the North ceases the development of its nuclear program and embarks on a genuine and substantive process for denuclearization," Yoon said in a speech marking the anniversary of liberation from Japan's colonial rule in 1945.

Analysts say the chances of Pyongyang accepting such an offer -- first floated during Yoon's inaugural speech -- are vanishingly slim, as the North, which invests a vast chunk of its GDP into weapons programs, has long made it clear it will not make that trade.

North Korea has conducted a record-breaking blitz of weapons tests this year, including firing an intercontinental ballistic missile at full range for the first time since 2017.

Washington and South Korean officials have repeatedly warned that the North is preparing to carry out what would be its seventh nuclear test.



Russia Warns US Against 'Military Intervention' in Iran-Israel War

FILE PHOTO: Iranian flags fly as fire and smoke from an Israeli attack on Sharan Oil depot rise, following Israeli strikes on Iran, in Tehran, Iran, June 15, 2025. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Iranian flags fly as fire and smoke from an Israeli attack on Sharan Oil depot rise, following Israeli strikes on Iran, in Tehran, Iran, June 15, 2025. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS/File Photo
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Russia Warns US Against 'Military Intervention' in Iran-Israel War

FILE PHOTO: Iranian flags fly as fire and smoke from an Israeli attack on Sharan Oil depot rise, following Israeli strikes on Iran, in Tehran, Iran, June 15, 2025. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Iranian flags fly as fire and smoke from an Israeli attack on Sharan Oil depot rise, following Israeli strikes on Iran, in Tehran, Iran, June 15, 2025. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS/File Photo

Russia's foreign ministry on Thursday warned the United States not to take military action against Iran, amid speculation over whether Washington will enter the war alongside Israel.

"We would like to particularly warn Washington against military intervention in the situation, which would be an extremely dangerous step with truly unpredictable negative consequences," the ministry's spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters.

Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Iran has not asked its ally Russia for military help amid its escalating air war with Israel.

"Our Iranian friends have not asked us about this," Putin said in response to a question from an AFP reporter at a televized press conference in Saint Petersburg.