Lee vows to defend Korea’s interests as strains with Washington surface

President Lee Jae Myung said Tuesday that Korea must not take a “submissive or subservient attitude” toward other countries. His remarks, made during a Cabinet meeting at the Blue House, came a day after Seoul’s ambassador to Washington acknowledged strains in communication with the White House.

"Korea is a sovereign, independent nation," Lee said. "We must avoid having a submissive or subservient attitude toward other countries.”

The statements appeared aimed at easing concerns over Korea’s alliance with the United States amid ongoing signs of friction, including anonymous officials’ accounts of disagreements between the National Intelligence Service (NIS) and U.S. intelligence authorities, as well as parliamentary audit testimony from Korean Ambassador to the United States Kang Kyung-wha.

“Korea's policy is clear: pragmatic diplomacy centered on national interests," Lee added. “What matters most is Korea’s national interests, and Korea is a sovereign, independent nation.

“We must always pursue diplomacy that serves Korea alone, allows it to stand tall and protects its national interests."

Lee described the Korea-U.S. alliance as "extremely important" and "the cornerstone of our diplomacy."

“We must continue to strengthen and advance [the Korea-U.S.bond],” he said.

However, he also called for maintaining relations with other major powers surrounding Korea, effectively advocating balanced diplomacy.

“Relations with [other] major powers around us remain equally important,” the president said.

Addressing the recent differences between Seoul and Washington over security and trade, Lee said such disagreements were “inevitable.”

“We cannot treat the mere existence of disagreements as a problem,” Lee said. “Every country pursues its own national interests. How can those interests always align? We must keep discussing our differences, stand up for our positions and work toward common ground.”

"When disagreements arise between countries, it is important to manage and resolve them through coordination and compromise, out of a commitment to our government and to Korea," he continued.

Lee cited Korea's investment negotiations with the United States as an example.

“Of all the countries involved in strategic investment negotiations with the United States, Korea probably negotiated the longest and secured the deal that best served its national interests,” Lee said.

“Everyone involved in diplomacy, including the industry minister, worked extremely hard."

"Even the United States said, 'Your negotiators are very tough,'" Lee continued. “It was a complaint in one sense, but a compliment in another.”

Lee stressed that his administration would continue to prioritize the country's interests.

“We will continue to do our utmost to secure greater benefits for the Korean people and protect our national interests,” President Lee said. "When disagreements or misunderstandings arise, we will resolve and manage them so that Korea can establish itself as an indispensable nation on the world stage."

Lee's remarks contrasted with the tone of Ambassador Kang's testimony at a parliamentary audit in Washington on Monday.

Responding to questions, Kang said the most difficult pending issue between Korea and the United States was the controversy over limitations on bilateral intelligence cooperation.

Kang said that the execution of $200 billion in Korean investment pledges under a bilateral trade deal concluded last year also proved thorny.

"Strategic investment [in the United States] was the most difficult issue until the announcement [of the first investment projects], including the Alaska LNG investment project," she said.

Korea and the United States held lengthy talks on strategic investments before announcing a Texas gas-fired power plant as their first project in early October. The two countries are also considering eight nuclear reactors in the United States as a second project and Alaska LNG development as a third.

Kang also disclosed that concerns over intelligence sharing between the two countries had been raised during a Sept. 18 meeting between Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Asked whether Rubio had raised the possibility of replacing NIS Director Lee Jong-seok or Unification Minister Chung Dong-young, Kang replied that while discussions were held on problems facing intelligence sharing, “no individual was singled out.”

The questions reflect concerns that the two officials' efforts to improve relations with North Korea, including outreach to Russia, could undermine intelligence cooperation and coordination with Washington.

Kang also acknowledged ongoing difficulties in communicating with Washington.

“I will admit that there are limits to our communication with the White House,” she said. “We frequently meet with the National Security Council and other key White House figures. But for now, consultations at the high level are not happening as often as I would like — to the point that I find [the infrequency] frustrating.”

Lee's decision to reiterate his diplomatic principles immediately after Kang publicly acknowledged friction between Seoul and Washington appeared intended to contain the growing controversy over bilateral relations.

"While publicly encouraging the diplomatic and trade officials who have struggled on the front lines of difficult ‘pragmatic’ diplomacy, he also sounded a warning against further amplifying issues that could fuel anxiety over foreign relations," an official from the ruling bloc said.

Some officials within the Blue House and the ruling party suspect that information about tensions between Korean and U.S. intelligence agencies was leaking from within the NIS or through working-level diplomatic channels in the two countries.

During Tuesday's Cabinet meeting, Lee repeatedly urged Foreign Minister Cho to handle diplomatic matters with care.

After receiving a briefing from the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries on efforts to develop Arctic shipping routes, Lee asked about the need for cooperation with Russia.

"[I understand] it is difficult to discuss the details openly, but we certainly need to handle this well," Lee told Cho. "Managing our relations with Russia is also important."

"International relations change constantly, and various controversies and difficulties arise as we pursue our national interests," Lee said. "But ultimately, what remains is Korea and its people. That is why I believe the Foreign Ministry's role is extremely important."

Lee repeatedly stressed the importance of diplomacy even in times of conflict, asking Foreign Minister Cho, "You conduct diplomacy even during wartime, don't you?" and "You engage in diplomacy even with enemy countries, right?"

"Yes," Cho replied to both questions.

"The principle of diplomacy is that there are no permanent enemies and no permanent allies," Lee said.

BY OH HYUN-SEOK [[email protected]]