President Lee Jae-myung emphasized "self-reliant, pragmatic diplomacy" and urged the country to avoid "submissive and subservient attitudes," but his remarks appear unlikely to quiet concerns about the state of the South Korea-U.S. alliance. Troubling signals have continued to emerge, including an admission from Kang Kyung-wha, South Korea's ambassador to the United States, who said: "High-level consultations with the White House are not happening to a degree that frustrates even me."
At a Cabinet meeting held at the Blue House on the 13th, Lee said: "We must always conduct diplomacy that serves only a dignified Republic of Korea and protects its national interests." He added that "the Republic of Korea's diplomatic principle is pragmatic national-interest diplomacy," and that "the Republic of Korea is a self-reliant, independent state."
Appearing mindful of observations that unusual currents have appeared in the alliance, Lee said: "Differences between countries are inevitable. How could countries that each pursue their own national interests always be in agreement?" He described the process as "endlessly debating, asserting and adjusting." On such differences, he said: "What matters is adjusting and compromising on problems out of affection for our Republic of Korea," warning that "if we are careless, a situation could arise in which our national interests are sacrificed in the competition of interests among states."
The remarks were also read as a rejection of recent calls to overhaul the foreign policy and security team. Rep. Maeng Sung-kyu of the Democratic Party of Korea, speaking with Korean correspondents on the 12th during the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee's parliamentary audit of the South Korean Embassy in Washington, described the mood within the party: "Rather than National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac, I would expect more weight to be given to Unification Minister Chung Dong-young and National Intelligence Service Director Lee Jong-seok." The People Power Party has described the alliance as being in a "state of collapse," pointing to the leanings of Chung and Lee as the cause. Lee's comments drew a line against calls to dismiss the two officials, who are often described as belonging to the self-reliance camp.
Warnings continue, however, that the "differences" Lee referred to are not of an ordinary scale. At the audit, Kang said: "I will acknowledge that there are limits to our communication with the White House." She added: "We frequently meet with the White House National Security Council and key White House figures, but consultations at the high level are not taking place as much as we would like, to a degree that frustrates even me."
She also said the U.S. side raised issues over intelligence sharing between the two countries during a Sept. 18 meeting between Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Citing intelligence cooperation as the most difficult issue since the announcement of investment in the United States, Kang said: "I do not think the problem has yet been sufficiently resolved to the extent the U.S. side expects." Washington has restricted intelligence sharing with Seoul on North Korea since March this year.
Kang also confirmed that working-level contacts took place between the two countries after a White House official recently told Korean media that "South Korea must adhere to the standards of the longstanding alliance, particularly in the areas of intelligence and counterintelligence." Asked about suggestions that Washington had shown concern over trust between the two countries, she said: "I believe there is some such awareness."
Kang stressed, however, that "the commitment and support for the alliance from U.S. officialdom and the broader public have remarkably deep roots." Asked whether Rubio had directly raised the status of Chung and Lee, she said: "As I recall, there was no mention of specific personnel."
Meanwhile, Michelle Steel, the U.S. ambassador to South Korea who took up her post in early August, has yet to hold an introductory meeting with Chung. Her predecessors typically met the unification minister within one or two months of arriving. A Ministry of Unification official, speaking with reporters at the Government Complex Seoul on the same day, said: "No request has come in yet" from the U.S. Embassy, adding: "I do not see this as a matter requiring haste."
The ministry also maintained that there are no problems in communication between the two countries. "At the ministry level, we are in constant communication with the U.S. Embassy in Seoul," the official said. "The head of our unification policy office is meeting with the embassy's minister-counselor, and working-level officials also meet frequently to share relevant issues."