President Lee Stresses the Importance of Inter-Korean Relations for Expanding Diplomatic Space
Urges Consistent Steps to Reduce Tensions
Calls for Integrated Security Capabilities and Comprehensive Support for K-Content
On August 18, President Lee Jaemyung stated, "Inter-Korean relations are extremely important for safeguarding the national interest of the Republic of Korea and expanding our diplomatic space amid rapidly changing external circumstances." He also instructed the relevant ministries to prepare for the phased implementation of existing inter-Korean agreements, such as the September 19 Inter-Korean Military Agreement, starting with the areas that are feasible.
Presiding over the '1st Ulchi Cabinet Meeting and the 37th Cabinet Meeting' at the Yongsan presidential office that day, President Lee emphasized, "What is needed now is the courage to take steady steps to reduce tensions, while maintaining an ironclad state of readiness." This marks his first Ulchi Cabinet Meeting since taking office. The Ulchi Exercise, conducted in conjunction with the South Korea-U.S. combined military exercise Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS), is a nationwide emergency preparedness drill held annually by the government to protect the lives and property of the people in the event of war or a national emergency. This year, 580,000 people from 4,000 institutions are participating in the four-day exercise, which runs until August 21.
President Lee further stated, "If small actions accumulate like pebbles, mutual trust will be restored, the path to peace will widen, and a foundation will be laid for both Koreas to grow together. Inter-Korean relations are extremely important for safeguarding the national interest of the Republic of Korea and expanding our diplomatic space amid rapidly changing external circumstances."
He also noted the need for integrated security capabilities in response to the evolving concept of global security. President Lee said, "The primary duty of the state is to protect the lives and safety of its people. The international order is being reshaped, new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) are advancing rapidly, and the concept of security is changing significantly due to climate change. We need integrated security capabilities to respond to complex crises that go beyond traditional military threats and involve economic, technological, and environmental factors." He added, "True security is protecting peace. It is better to win without fighting than to win by fighting, and the most reliable security is a state of peace where there is no need to fight at all, as I often say."
Additionally, President Lee called K-culture a new driving force for strengthening national power and asked the relevant ministries to develop comprehensive measures for K-content. He mentioned that the recent global popularity of 'K-Pop Demon Hunters' has led to large crowds at the National Museum of Korea and daily sell-outs of museum merchandise. President Lee said, "If peace is the foundation of economic stability, K-culture is a new driving force for strengthening national power. I ask the relevant ministries to establish and support a global expansion strategy for K-content, as well as to expand related infrastructure such as K-pop facilities, based on the 'arm's length principle' of supporting without interfering, and to prepare comprehensive measures."
Furthermore, in a memorial address marking the 16th anniversary of the passing of former President Kim Dae-jung, President Lee said, "The path Kim Dae-jung walked ahead of us is the future that Korea must pursue. I will continue to move forward without hesitation, following the path that the President pioneered." He pledged, "Trusting in the countless 'conscientious actors' nurtured by Kim Dae-jung, I will steadfastly advance toward a nation where the people are sovereign, a nation where all prosper together, and a nation where peace flows like a river." The memorial address was delivered by Chief Presidential Secretary Kang Hoonshik on President Lee's behalf.
President Lee specifically cited Kim Dae-jung's concept of a "scholarly sense of responsibility and a merchant's sense of reality," stating, "In the midst of the unforeseeable IMF crisis, he laid the foundation for Korea to become an IT powerhouse and established the groundwork for a welfare state and a cultural powerhouse." President Lee described Kim Dae-jung as "a great democrat who believed in the strength of the people more than anyone else, and a pragmatist who always put the national interest and people's livelihoods first, turning crises into opportunities."
Meanwhile, it has been reported that President Lee plans to send a special delegation to China to coincide with the South Korea-Japan and South Korea-U.S. summits. This move is interpreted as an effort to manage relations with China while meeting with the leaders of the United States and Japan. President Lee is scheduled to hold a summit with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in Japan on August 23 and a summit with President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C. on August 25.
According to the ruling party, the delegation to China will include former National Assembly Speaker Park Byeongseok, Kim Taenyeon, chairman of the Korea-China Parliamentary Friendship Association, and lawmaker Park Jeong, and is scheduled to be dispatched on August 24, the anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between South Korea and China. It is also reported that Noh Jaeheon, chairman of the East Asia Culture Center and son of the late former President Roh Tae-woo, who previously served as the head of the social and cultural division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Korea-China Future Development Committee, will accompany the delegation.
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