(2nd LD) Lee stresses importance of U.S. alliance, says submissive stance should be shunned

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SEOUL, Oct. 13 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday stressed the importance of the country's alliance with the United States but also noted a submissive stance should be shunned in pursuing diplomacy.

The president made the remarks at a Cabinet meeting, amid concerns over apparent friction in the Seoul-Washington alliance, highlighted by South Korea facing limitations in intelligence sharing by the U.S.

Lee said diplomacy should be focused on safeguarding national interests, while emphasizing that differences can arise between countries.

"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.

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 is believed to have protested the remarks as a unilateral disclosure of intelligence shared by the U.S.

Some conservative local news outlets have accused the unification minister of jeopardizing the South Korea-U.S. alliance.

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."

Lee referred to Seoul's recent deal with Washington on U.S. investment projects, saying that South Korea had achieved results that best served its national interests compared with other countries, through the "longest" negotiations.

"Going forward, (the government) will do its utmost to safeguard the country's national interests. When there are differences or misunderstandings, it will resolve or coordinate them," the president noted.

The previous day, South Korea's Ambassador to the U.S. Kang Kyung-wha said that progress has been made in improving intelligence cooperation between Seoul and Washington, although she acknowledged ongoing limitations in high-level communication with the White House.

"I acknowledge that there are limitations in our communication with the White House," Kang said during a parliamentary audit at the South Korean Embassy in Washington.

pbr@yna.co.kr
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