Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung has pledged to pursue a pragmatic diplomacy centered on the national interest and grounded in a strong South Korea-U.S. alliance.

In a foreign policy and national security statement released on social media on Monday, Lee said he would establish a control tower to oversee economic and security issues, arguing it’s necessary to link those issues in an era of rising protectionism. 

Lee emphasized the broad potential for cooperation with the U.S. in sectors such as shipbuilding, defense and advanced industries, and he said South Korea would strengthen both its bilateral ties with the U.S. and trilateral cooperation with the U.S. and Japan.

Regarding China, Lee called it a key trading partner and a country that influences security on the Korean Peninsula, adding that Seoul would seek to stabilize relations with Beijing after they reached a low point under the previous administration.

Lee also pledged to work closely with the U.S. and the international community to make meaningful progress toward peace and the denuclearization of North Korea.

His use of that wording instead of the “denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula” prompted speculation about a potential policy shift, but his foreign policy adviser Wi Sung-lac clarified that it reflects support solely for the peaceful use of nuclear energy, not for nuclear armament.