South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has called for an end to the escalation of tensions and advocated peaceful coexistence with countries in the region, including North Korea, China and Russia. He made the remarks in an interview with Reuters.
Lee Jae-myung noted the “growing confrontation between the camps of socialist and capitalist countries“. According to him, due to its geographical location, South Korea “risks being at the head of any conflict between them”“. He pointed to an “escalation spiral” in which increased cooperation between the Republic of Korea, the United States, and Japan has provoked increased interaction between the DPRK, China, and Russia.
“This situation is very dangerous for Korea, and we must abandon the path of escalating military tensions. We must find a way to ensure peaceful coexistence,“ the South Korean leader said. During the election campaign, he said that the Republic of Korea should not “escalate unnecessary tensions“ in its relations with Russia.
At the same time, Lee Jae-myung said that he shared “his predecessor Yun Seok-yeol’s opinion that North Korea’s military cooperation with Russia poses a significant threat to South Korea’s security“, but noted that “simple solutions are not enough; dialogue and cooperation are needed“.