(LEAD) Lee stresses importance of U.S. alliance, says differences can arise between countries

(ATTN: UPDATES with remarks in paras 4-7)

SEOUL, Oct. 13 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday stressed the importance of the country's alliance with the United States, while highlighting that differences can arise between countries.

The president made the remarks at a Cabinet meeting, where he also insisted that diplomacy should be focused on safeguarding national interests and that a submissive stance should be shunned in pursuing diplomacy.

His remarks come as South Korea continues to face restrictions on intelligence sharing by Washington, reportedly over the South Korean unification minister's previous remarks identifying North Korea's Kusong as a site housing a uranium enrichment facility. Washington has protested the remarks as a unilateral disclosure of intelligence shared by the U.S.

"Diplomacy should be pursued in a way that always upholds South Korea's dignity and safeguards its national interests (while) any submissive or kowtowing stance should be shunned," the president noted.

"The guiding principle of South Korea's diplomacy is pragmatism. The most important thing for South Korea is its national interests," Lee stressed.

The president also said the South Korea-U.S. alliance is "very important" and constitutes the main axis of its diplomacy, which needs to be further advanced, acknowledging that differences could always arise between countries.

"(Differences) should be continuously debated, raised and coordinated," the president also noted, underscoring the importance of minimizing such differences to "a manageable level."

pbr@yna.co.kr
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