
DP's Lee vows 'pragmatic' diplomacy, to solidify 3-way cooperation with US, Japan
Lee, the campaign's front-runner, unveiled his foreign policy and national security campaign pledges on Facebook, just eight days before the nation heads to the polls for the June 3 election.
"Based on the firm South Korea-US alliance, (I) will implement a pragmatic foreign policy centered on national interest," Lee said "(I) will restore the foundation of trust of the South Korea-US alliance that has been damaged by the illegal martial law and develop it into a future-oriented comprehensive strategic alliance.
"(I) will solidify the South Korea-US-Japan cooperation. Japan is an important partner for cooperation." (Yonhap)

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Korea Herald
11 hours ago
- Korea Herald
S. Korea's top diplomat abruptly flies to US for Lee–Trump summit
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun abruptly departed for Washington on Thursday, four days ahead of the first summit between the current leaders of South Korea and the United States. Cho's rush to Washington means he will not be part of President Lee Jae Myung's official entourage for a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in Tokyo on Saturday. Cho's early departure for Washington was decided the previous day and was so hasty that he could not secure a direct flight to Washington and had to take a connecting route, The Korea Herald learned from diplomatic sources. The South Korean top diplomat's abrupt change of plans has raised concerns over whether it signals potential red flags for the upcoming in-person meeting between Lee and US President Donald Trump on Monday in Washington. However, officials downplayed the notion, saying that Cho's early departure does not indicate any problems in the Lee–Trump summit. "Minister Cho is scheduled to arrive in Washington ahead of the summit to conduct a final on-site review with US counterparts, taking into account the significance and weight of this being the first Korea-US summit since the launch of the two new administrations, and to ensure more thorough and meticulous preparations," a Foreign Ministry official said on condition of anonymity. Cho's early trip to the US was made at South Korea's suggestion with the idea that in-person consultations would be more effective, and not at Washington's request, The Korea Herald learned from diplomatic sources. Director General for North American Affairs Hong Jee-pio had already departed for Washington on Thursday morning as part of Cho's delegation. Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo and Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan have also already departed for the US, but they will not be following the same schedule as Cho in Washington, The Korea Herald additionally learned.


Korea Herald
12 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Lee urges thorough measures to protect people amid civil defense drills
President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday called for thorough preparations to protect the people as he presided over a meeting on the final day of an annual civil defense exercise, the presidential office said. The Ulchi civil defense exercise has been under way since Monday for a four-day run, held concurrently with the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise jointly held by South Korea and the United States. In the meeting, Lee stressed the importance of practical drills to ensure the safety of the people while also praising officials for their efforts to enhance national crisis response capabilities and bolster the South Korea-US combined defense posture, his office said in a release. "A country's most important task is to ensure that people can safely enjoy their everyday lives," Lee was quoted as saying. "Everyone should fulfill their responsibilities, while remembering that people's lives will be threatened in the event security wavers." Also attending the meeting held at the "B-1 bunker," which serves as a wartime command center for South Korean forces, were Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back and Interior Minister Yun Ho-jung. Following the meeting, Lee inspected the facility, and met with civil servants and South Korean and US troops who took part in the exercise, according to the presidential office. (Yonhap)


Korea Herald
15 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Assembly passes bill to revamp MBC governance
South Korea's National Assembly on Thursday passed a revision to the law governing the largest shareholder of public broadcaster MBC, in a move led by the ruling Democratic Party of Korea aimed at "ensuring political neutrality in public broadcasting." The bill was passed with 169 votes in favor, one against and one abstention, out of 171 lawmakers present. The main opposition People Power Party lawmakers did not participate in the vote. The revision was first brought to a vote during the July parliamentary session but was stalled after People Power Party lawmakers launched a filibuster. The revision increases the number of board members at MBC's largest shareholder, the Foundation for Broadcast Culture, from nine to 13 and changes how they are appointed. Under the bill, FBC board members will be recommended by the National Assembly, the MBC viewers' committee, its employees, academic societies in broadcasting and media, and legal associations. The bill also introduces a new mechanism for selecting a CEO for the broadcaster. Candidates will be proposed by a 100-member citizen recommendation committee comprising ordinary citizens and reflecting diversity in gender, age and region. The FBC board will then vote to finalize the appointment. The revision is part of a broader legislative initiative long pursued by the Democratic Party to overhaul the governance of major public broadcasters, including KBS, MBC and EBS. The bill has faced opposition from the People Power Party, which argued that it is being pushed by the Democratic Party and labor unions as a means to bring public broadcasters under their control. Before the vote, President Lee Jae Myung voiced support for the bill. "With today's passage of the (amendment to the) FBC Act, we will lay the legal foundation for the independence of public broadcasting and the people's right to know," he wrote on Facebook. The Democratic Party first proposed a version of the bill targeting KBS in 2022 as part of its broader reform drive. While the party — then holding 155 out of 296 Assembly seats — passed the bill on its own, it was later vetoed by then-President Yoon Suk Yeol. An attempt to override Yoon's veto failed to meet the required quorum. A similar outcome followed in 2024, when the Democratic Party again pushed through revisions affecting KBS, MBC and EBS, only to face another veto from Yoon and a failed override vote. The Democratic Party currently holds 166 out of 298 Assembly seats, while the People Power Party holds 107. The minor progressive Rebuilding Korea Party and the Progressive Party hold 12 and 4 seats, respectively. Following Thursday's vote, the Assembly also tabled a bill aimed at restructuring the governance of EBS. In response, the People Power Party launched another filibuster in an effort to block its passage. Earlier this month, on Aug. 5, lawmakers passed a separate bill requiring the replacement of KBS board members within three months.