Seoul does not have a strong enough “stick” to pressure North Korea to denuclearize, South Korea’s vice defense minister Wednesday, emphasizing the need to provide economic incentives in line with the Yoon administration’s “audacious” plan.

In his remarks at the Seoul Defense Dialogue 2022, Shin Beom-chul said he remains “optimistic” about denuclearizing Pyongyang but acknowledged “limitations” since Seoul “should not use military options.”

“So with regard to stick and carrot, our stick is not that strong,” he said, adding that economic sanctions do not work as intended without China’s “active support.”

Asked about the lack of security guarantees in the