President Lee Jae-myung said on the 13th that South Korea must avoid "a submissive attitude or a subservient attitude in relations between countries."
Lee made the remarks at a Cabinet meeting he presided over at the Blue House, saying South Korea's diplomatic policy is "clearly a pragmatic diplomacy of national interest." He added that "what matters most is South Korea's national interest," saying, "South Korea is a sovereign, independent nation. We must always conduct diplomacy that serves only a confident South Korea and protects its national interest."
Lee also said the alliance with the United States "is extremely important, it is the axis of our diplomacy, and it must be continuously upgraded," while noting that "on the other hand, our relationships with the major powers around us also matter." He said differences between countries "are bound to exist," adding that "they need to be minimized and kept within a manageable range." The existence of differences itself, he said, "cannot be treated as a problem."
"How can countries always be in agreement when each is pursuing its own national interest?" Lee said. "It is a matter of constantly debating, asserting and adjusting toward agreement." He stressed that "when differences arise between countries, it is important that we work to adjust and reach a compromise on those issues out of affection for our government and for South Korea." He also warned that "if we get it wrong, we could end up in a situation where our national interest is sacrificed in the competition of interests between countries."
Lee mentioned Industry and Trade Minister Kim Jung-kwan and Trade Negotiations Office head Park Jung-sung, saying they "have gone through a great deal in external negotiations." He said that "even in relations with the United States, among the many countries designated as targets for strategic investment, South Korea is where negotiations continued the longest and produced the conclusion most aligned with its national interest," adding that "the U.S. side also said our negotiators were very tough." He said South Korea "will continue to do its utmost for greater benefits for the people and for the national interest," urging that "where there are differences, where there are misunderstandings about an issue, we should resolve and adjust them so that South Korea can move toward becoming an irreplaceable nation standing tall in the world."