Interview
How will South Korea’s new president balance China against America?
- Lee Jae-myung aims to unify a divided nation and prioritize domestic issues, following the unprecedented early presidential election caused by former President Yoon Suk-yol's declaration of martial law on December 3 and subsequent criminal charges for insurrection, which will be litigated over the coming months.
- The Democratic Party's pragmatic approach includes market-friendly economic reforms to address a drastic cut in projected economic growth this year and a demographic crisis characterized by the world's lowest fertility rate of 0.75 births per woman, which threatens long-term growth.
- Lee Jae-myung intends to reinforce the U.S. alliance as a primary foreign policy objective, specifically addressing tariffs imposed by Donald Trump on automobiles and steel, resolving looming security debates regarding U.S. troop levels between Korean defense and broader regional goals, and engaging in negotiations to eliminate trade barriers.
- Foreign policy strategies involve seeking closer cooperation with Japan while maintaining stable economic ties with China, attempting a difficult balancing act as U.S.-China confrontation deepens, all within a context where the leadership acknowledges a complex web of overlapping crises across every sphere.