Seoul: The Lee Jae Myung government has announced a strategic initiative to advance diplomatic relations with the United States, China, Japan, and Russia, leveraging its existing alliance with the U.S. and a trilateral cooperation framework involving the U.S. and Japan, as stated by the foreign ministry.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the foreign policy strategy, approved during Tuesday's Cabinet meeting, aims to transform the existing bilateral alliance with Washington into a comprehensive strategic partnership. This partnership is intended to expand mutual interests across all areas beyond current sectoral cooperation. The South Korean government also plans to enhance trilateral cooperation with Japan and the U.S., maintaining a "two-track" approach with Japan to address historical issues while promoting forward-looking collaboration.
South Korea seeks to deepen its relations with China by securing its support for North Korea's denuclearization and improved inter-Korean relations. Efforts will also focus on achieving practical benefits such as supply chain stability and maritime rights protection in the Yellow Sea. Despite the cooling of relations with Russia due to the conflict in Ukraine, the government intends to maintain dialogue to restore a mutually beneficial relationship.
The national agenda also emphasizes addressing North Korea's nuclear issues by creating conditions conducive to dialogue through tension-reduction measures and consultations with Washington. The government aims to involve neighboring countries like China and Russia constructively. A phased strategy involving freezing, reducing, and dismantling North Korea's nuclear capabilities, with step-by-step agreements and simultaneous actions, is planned to resume dialogue between Pyongyang and Washington, stalled since the 2019 Hanoi talks. A long-term goal includes establishing a multiparty cooperative framework for regional peace and stability.
Economically, the government plans to initiate regular economic security meetings with relevant government agencies and the private sector. South Korea aims to leverage its hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and Group of 20 summits to lead global economic discussions, focusing on digital technology and artificial intelligence.