1 week ago 7

Could Presidential Frontrunner Lee Jae-Myung Bring Strategic Policy Shift For South Korea?

South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung announced his presidential bid on Thursday. He narrowly lost the 2022 election to Yoon Suk Yeol, and had led the liberal Democratic Party’s campaign to oust the former president over his December declaration of martial law.

Lee Jae-myung is currently leading the race for president in South Korea, according to a Gallup poll.

Let's break down his position on major geopolitical issues:

Ukraine

Warned against South Korea being “dragged” into the Ukraine proxy war and told the WSJ that he “highly values” Donald Trump’s efforts to end the conflict.

Applauded that “Trump would do whatever it takes to defend America, even if it means a TARIFF WAR with allies or engaging adversaries to end the Ukraine war. It’s a lesson we should learn from,” he presciently said in February.

Triggered backlash after saying in 2022 that "In Ukraine, a novice politician of six months became president and declared [Ukraine's] accession to NATO, which provoked Russia and eventually led to a clash."

Russia

Deepening confrontation between South Korea, the US, and Japan versus North Korea, China, and Russia is damaging the country’s economy.

US & China

Lee Jae-myung supports strong trade relations and military cooperation the US, while asserting that it is “not incompatible” with “strategic cooperative partnership” with China.