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President Lee Jae-myung speaks during a Cabinet meeting held at the Blue House on the 13th. / Yonhap News

President Lee Jae-myung stated on the 13th that "the diplomatic principle of the Republic of Korea is clearly pragmatic national-interest diplomacy," emphasizing that "the most important priority is the national interest of the Republic of Korea."

Presiding over a Cabinet meeting at the Blue House on that day, President Lee remarked, "The Republic of Korea is a sovereign, independent state, and we must always conduct confident diplomacy dedicated solely to the Republic of Korea, ensuring our national interests are safeguarded."

He continued, "In international relations, we must reject subservient or sycophantic attitudes."

President Lee also reaffirmed the importance of the South Korea-U.S. alliance. "Relations between the Republic of Korea and the South Korea-U.S. alliance are exceedingly important—it is the linchpin of our diplomacy," he noted, adding, "We must continue to elevate and upgrade it."

At the same time, he pointed out, "Managing relations with the major powers surrounding us remains equally vital. We must manage the South Korea-U.S. alliance alongside our ties with neighboring countries."

Regarding differences between nations, he emphasized that managing them matters more than their mere existence. "Differences naturally arise between nations," President Lee said. "However, while we need to minimize differences, they must remain within a manageable threshold."

He added, "Yet we cannot take issue with the mere existence of differences. Even if divergences emerge in our relations with various nations, we must manage them anchored firmly in our national interest."

                                                                                                        Park Young-hoon