South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung wants a step-by-step plan to end the standoff over North Korea’s nuclear program.

He said the first goal would be to stop new advances in the North’s nuclear and missile abilities.

Later stages would reduce its weapons and move toward dismantlement.

In return, North Korea would receive political and economic concessions for each step forward.

Lee said this phased approach of stopping, reduction and dismantlement is practical.

He argued it is unrealistic to wait for complete denuclearization all at once.

In the meantime, he said, North Korea’s nuclear abilities would keep growing and the threat would increase.

Lee will present his plan during this week’s U.N. General Assembly meetings in New York.

He said both Seoul and Washington are willing to talk with Pyongyang again.

North Korea has refused dialogue and recently increased its weapons testing.

It rejected Trump’s decision last month to scale back a major military exercise with South Korea.

Pyongyang has since carried out three rounds of weapons launches.

Experts say North Korea likely wants bigger U.S. concessions.

Some people worry Lee’s approach could let North Korea win concessions, like sanctions relief, without fully giving up its nuclear program.

Lee said negotiators must show the North that moving toward lasting peace is a realistic path to a secure future.

Lee also said both South Korea and the United States remain open to dialogue without preconditions.

He said the two leaders should build trust and find common ground face-to-face.