South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has formally rejected what he described as a “submissive” approach to foreign policy, asserting that national interests must remain the country's top priority. Speaking during a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Lee emphasized the necessity of a pragmatic diplomatic stance that simultaneously upholds South Korea's dignity.
While Lee reaffirmed that the alliance with the United States remains the “cornerstone” of South Korea's foreign policy and is “very important,” he noted that disagreements between allies are inevitable. He argued that such differences should be addressed through continuous dialogue, debate, and coordination to ensure they remain at a manageable level. “Diplomacy should be pursued in a way that always upholds South Korea's dignity and safeguards its national interests,” Lee stated, explicitly rejecting any “submissive or kowtowing stance.”
The President's remarks arrive during a period of diplomatic friction regarding US restrictions on sharing intelligence related to North Korean nuclear facilities. This dispute was triggered after Unification Minister Chung Dong-young publicly identified Kusong as a suspected uranium enrichment site. While Seoul has maintained that this information was already publicly available, reports indicate that Washington viewed the disclosure as sensitive. Despite the tension, South Korean intelligence officials have insisted that broader security cooperation between the two nations remains intact.
