President Lee Jae-myung addressed the 'pro-China controversy' raised by the opposition and political circles in the U.S., saying, "Where is the pro-China or anti-China stance in diplomacy? If it benefits Korea's national interest, we maintain close ties; if it does not, we keep a distance. I hope it is not uniform." The pro-China controversy had arisen several times during the previous presidential election, and President Lee, at the time, emphasized 'pragmatic diplomacy centered on national interests,' stating not to maintain a cautious attitude toward any specific country in diplomacy.
On the 24th (local time), President Lee held an unplanned 50-minute press meeting aboard the official plane (Air Force One) on the way from Japan to the U.S. In response to a question about the persistent 'pro-China image' in the U.S. and ways to resolve it, President Lee replied as follows. He stated, "The basics and foundation of our diplomacy is the Korea-U.S. alliance," adding, "Since we are in a capitalist market system, it is important to align and cooperate with those who share this value, order, and system, and therefore Korea-U.S.-Japan security and economic cooperation is naturally important."
Nevertheless, President Lee said, "Does this mean we should sever ties with China or can we live after severing them? If not severing ties is considered pro-China in that sense, then we should be pro-China." He added, "We should not sever or antagonize relations with important nations." Furthermore, he stated, "The criteria are the quality and conditions of life for our citizens," emphasizing he does not intend to be swayed by being called pro-China, pro-North Korea, pro-Russia, or even pro-communism if it is performed well.
Regarding criticism that issues such as 'historical issues' involving comfort women and forced labor were not properly addressed during the Korea-Japan summit, President Lee noted, "I know some segments of the Korean populace are pointing out these issues," adding, "I was prepared to be criticized." He continued, "This is just the first step; if one tries to fill up with the first spoonful, it might cause an upset. If you give us a little more time, we believe we will achieve far better results and in matters of historical issues or territorial issues, we expect to achieve more tangible results."
President Lee visited Japan on the 23rd and held a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru. After 17 years, the two nations documented and announced cooperation plans. The 'joint press statement' issued by the two countries did not include historical issues. Progressive groups like the Korean Research Institute for National Issues and the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance criticized it as being "a summit result that ignored historical justice." President Lee indicated he was already prepared for such criticism from within his support base to build relations with Japan.
President Lee remarked, "In an ideal world, it would be best if everything could be resolved completely to our satisfaction, but such cases don't exist. There's always a counterpart involved, and they too will want to resolve issues fully in their favor." He continued, "One of the trends often seen in the political sphere is that if we can't satisfy everyone, then don't do anything at all. But even if criticized or deemed insufficient, we must do what can be done. Considering the things we have achieved thus far, we haven't lost anything; there have been gains."