Lee Jae-myung signals hesitation on attending NATO summit if elected
Liberal Democratic Party of Korea presidential candidate Rep. Lee Jae-myung on Sunday expressed doubts over whether he would attend the upcoming NATO summit scheduled for June 24-26 in the Netherlands.
While not a definitive reversal, Lee's remarks hint at a potentially more cautious approach compared to former President Yoon Suk Yeol's stance on developing South Korea's relationship with NATO member countries.
"Given the confusing and complicated situation in the country, I have second thoughts about whether I should attend the NATO summit or not, unless the summit concretely suggests the agenda about current (international) affairs," the liberal presidential front-runner told reporters at a press conference.
Lee added that his priority lies in domestic issues, such as addressing ordinary people's cost of living, instead of the handling of foreign affairs.
His remarks show contrast with Yoon's participation in the NATO summit for three straight years until 2024, alongside other "Indo-Pacific Four" partners -- Japan, New Zealand and Australia -- as well as 32 NATO member countries.
Yoon was the first South Korean president to have attended NATO summits for three consecutive years. Seoul touted Yoon's appearance at the NATO summit in 2024 as a means to send a strong message against the military cooperation between North Korea and Russia.
The remarks, at the first press conference held since he declared his bid to run for president in April, came as South Korea's newly-elected leader at the June 3 election is likely to head straight into a busy diplomatic month. The newly elected leader is expected to take office immediately without a transition period.
Polls have suggested that Lee is ahead of other candidates, including the conservative People Power Party's Kim Moon-soo and minor conservative New Reform Party's Rep. Lee Jun-seok, in the race.
Lee also said that he believed the government has yet to receive a formal invitation to attend the Group of Seven summit from June 15-17 in Canada. "It seems it's not the matter I should immediately take into consideration," Lee said.
South Korea was not invited to the 2024 summit held in Italy from June 13-15. During Yoon's short-lived term that started in 2022, Yoon was invited once to Japan out of the three Group of Seven summits.
Regarding the looming deadline for the 90-day suspension of the United States' imposition of additional tariffs -- 25 percent on most South Korean goods in addition to base tariffs of 10 percent -- Lee said Seoul's trade negotiation with Washington, if he is elected, must involve "a procedure to navigate what is mutually beneficial," adding Seoul would "not have to be bound by" Washington's unilaterally suggested deadline for a tariff suspension.
Lee, who narrowly lost to Yoon in the 2022 presidential election, served as the opposition leader during Yoon's term and played the central role in dismissing Yoon's martial law declaration in December 2024 and in impeaching the incumbent president.
As for his approach to North Korean issues, he said he would distance himself from the Yoon administration's hardline stance toward the seclusive country, adding dialogue, negotiation and cooperation must be involved while maintaining strong military readiness on the foundation of Seoul-Washington alliance.
Regarding the liberal party's push for a judiciary reform -- in the wake of the Supreme Court's ruling that found Lee guilty of making false claims during his candidacy in the 2022 presidential election -- Lee said now is not the right time to discuss judiciary reform plans. Lee also denied that the party had officially considered expanding the 14-member full bench of Supreme Court justices or allowing those who are not legal professionals to be eligible to become justices.
During the press conference, Lee pledged to grant the parliament -- of which his party controls the majority -- the power to recommend a candidate for a prime minister and to nominate the chiefs of the prosecution, the national police agency and the broadcast watchdog.
Lee said he would establish a special group led by the president to spur economic growth and boost government spending to handle the livelihood matters of the people.
He also proposed establishing a "digital platform" online to allow citizens to engage in a policy proposal. He also hinted at a system in which the state power could be tipped off by the citizens in terms of nominations of high-ranking public officials.
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