"Lee Jae-myung on Yoon's remark 'Seems to get along well with Trump': 'Worried, it will be very difficult'"

"Need for Practical Diplomacy Centered on National Interest Beyond Values and Camps"
"Negotiations with Realists Will Be Very Difficult"

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, said on the 10th that "negotiating with a realist will be very difficult" regarding Donald Trump, the President-elect of the United States.

Yonhap News

At a meeting held at the National Assembly on the same day titled 'Trump's Second Administration Foreign Policy and the Korean Peninsula,' Lee evaluated, "President-elect Trump is a very rational realist with maximized merchant-like realism."

Referring to President Yoon's comment at a press conference on the 7th that "he seems to have good chemistry with President Yoon," Lee said, "It worries me that he thinks that way," emphasizing, "Negotiating with a realist is very difficult. One must be very meticulous, well-prepared, and strong."

Lee connected Trump's election, which emphasized nationalism, to his own message of 'Meoksanism (issues of livelihood).'

Lee said, "Since the global situation is so unstable and the future uncertain, I think people everywhere in the world are focused on 'livelihood issues,'" adding, "Our diplomacy must shift from the current camp-centered, value-centered biased diplomacy to a thoroughly practical approach centered on the interests of the people and the nation."

Regarding Trump's demand for a significant increase in South Korea's defense cost-sharing during his first term, Lee said, "We cannot significantly increase the total defense budget, and if we have to pay more from the set defense budget, we could consider reducing the scale of imports of American weapons."

On the Korean Peninsula issue, Lee said the second Trump administration could engage in direct talks with North Korea again, pointing out, "When North Korea does not feel the need to talk with the South Korean government, 'Tongmibongnam (通美封南)' is likely to become a reality."

He criticized, "South Korea has already secured deterrence against North Korea, so dialogue and negotiation, which are other aspects, are important, but the Yoon Seok-yeol administration is pursuing a 'strong against strong' confrontation strategy," adding, "It is voluntarily sacrificing diplomacy and security to avoid domestic political difficulties."

Regarding Korea-Japan relations, Lee said, "If a country invades another, causing millions to die or be displaced, it is normal to feel sorry," and insisted, "Japan should sincerely apologize, and if it is insufficient, it should apologize again."