The favorite for the upcoming presidential elections in the Republic of Korea, Lee Jae-myung, does not intend to abandon relations with Russia and wants to lead a balanced policy on the world stage.
"You cannot completely rely on an alliance with the United States. There is no need to completely exclude relations with China and Russia or to be in hostile relations with them," the politician said during a televised debate with other contenders for the post of head of state.
According to the sociological surveys of May 11, he is supported by 52% of respondents, while his closest competitor, Kim Moon-soo, has 31%. The election will be held on June 3.
“We should always approach it from a practical perspective, from a national interest perspective“, said Lee Jae-myung. He pointed out that the alliance with Washington remains the “main axis“ of the Republic of Korea's diplomacy. According to him, relations with China, Russia and the United States have different “weights that must be taken into account“.
“It is obvious that the alliance with the United States must be developed and deepened. Trilateral security cooperation between the Republic of Korea, the United States and Japan remains important”, said former Democratic Party Chairman Toburo. “But we cannot go into it completely. Relations with China and Russia are important to us, so we must maintain them”, the presidential candidate concluded.