Bilal Gamal 

More than a year after taking office, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung is continuing efforts to restore international confidence in Seoul. Adopting a pragmatic approach to foreign policy, he has helped advance South Korea’s relations with major international powers while also enabling the country to broaden its global partnerships. Lee underscored this pragmatism in a recent interview with the French newspaper <a href="https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2026/09/07/as-south-korea-president-visits-france-he-calls-for-cooperation-among-countries-sharing-common-values_6757242_4.html?srsltid=AfmBOoqjL0GpBCZxJ7wZu_a9DIkvO593KJwZaGwNx9kJS8ZE2bB9yKOu" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Le Monde</a> on September 6, 2026, in which he explained that his diplomatic approach seeks to promote regional peace and prosperity while protecting the national interest and responding flexibly to a changing international environment.Lee’s Foreign Policy ApproachPresident Lee Jae-myung’s approach toward major powers and key foreign policy issues can be outlined as follows:1. Seeking to Reset Strained Relations with China: President Lee has adopted a conciliatory approach toward Beijing as part of efforts to ease tensions between the two countries. In November 2025, he <a href="https://thediplomat.com/2025/11/lee-and-xi-agree-to-strengthen-china-south-korea-relations/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">met</a> with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju, South Korea. Using the summit as an opportunity to reset strained relations with China amid disagreements over a range of issues, including cultural and trade disputes, Lee stressed the need for <a href="https://chinaglobalsouth.com/2025/11/01/xi-jinping-lee-jae-myung-apec-south-korea-meeting/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">cooperation</a> between Beijing and Seoul to promote shared prosperity. Xi, for his part, described China and South Korea as "important neighbors that cannot be moved away from each other and partners that cannot be separated." The summit also included bilateral talks focused on expanding cooperation.Seeking to capitalize on this growing momentum in South Korea-China relations, Lee <a href="https://www.twk.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=1346" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">visited</a> Beijing in January 2026, where he met with Xi. During this visit, the two sides signed 14 government memoranda of understanding and agreed to expand cooperation in a range of areas, including the economy, environment, tourism, and culture. In an effort to build trust with Beijing, Lee also reaffirmed South Korea’s respect for the "<a href="https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/foreignaffairs/20260103/lee-says-no-change-in-s-koreas-position-to-respect-one-china-policy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">One China</a>" policy, stressing that Seoul’s position on the issue had not changed.More recently, during a <a href="https://english.news.cn/20260820/216f418cee38405a8a4fbd7e2aabf6d3/c.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">visit</a> to South Korea in August 2026, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi &nbsp;met with Lee and praised what he described as Seoul’s "rational policy" toward Beijing and the progress made in bilateral relations since the beginning of the year. Wang also indicated that China is keen to complete the second phase of negotiations on its free trade agreement with South Korea as a means to promote regional economic integration. Lee, for his part, emphasized the importance of advancing the two countries’ mutually beneficial partnership and shared interests.2. Easing Seoul’s Demands on North Korea’s Nuclear Program: While the government of former President Yoon Suk Yeol maintained that North Korea’s denuclearization was a prerequisite for direct inter-Korean talks, the Lee government has adopted a more pragmatic approach. Rather than relying on direct pressure, it has sought to halt the expansion of Pyongyang’s nuclear activities and manage rising tensions through dialogue and peace initiatives.In July 2026, South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said Seoul was now seeking to first freeze North Korea’s existing <a href="https://www.npr.org/2026/08/03/nx-s1-5917877/south-korea-north-korea-nuclear-peace-analysis" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">nuclear program</a> as part of a "peace first" approach, in contrast to the previous government’s "denuclearization first" strategy. Under this approach, potential inter-Korean negotiations could initially focus on halting North Korea’s production and development of nuclear weapons, while treating the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula as a longer-term objective.Given Beijing’s importance as a <a href="https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2026/01/07/south-koreas-lee-asks-xi-to-mediate-north-korea-dialogue/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">partner</a> of North Korea, Lee asked Xi in January 2026 to mediate efforts to reopen channels of communication between the two Koreas. During his National Liberation Day address in August, the South Korean president also called on Pyongyang to engage in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/15/south-koreas-lee-urges-talks-with-north-korea-about-finally-ending-korean-war" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">talks</a> aimed at ending the conflict on the Korean Peninsula and establishing peace, while pledging proactive and sustained measures to ease bilateral tensions and prevent further escalation.3. Balancing Historical Grievances and Shared Interests with Japan: Lee has adopted an approach toward Japan that prioritizes shared interests while continuing to address longstanding historical disputes. During his National Liberation Day speech in mid-August 2026, Lee <a href="https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20260815/p2g/00m/0in/021000c" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">called</a> on Tokyo to empathize with the victims of Japanese colonial rule as a foundation for building deeper trust between the two countries. South Korea has also <a href="https://www.korea.net/NewsFocus/Culture/view?articleId=297292" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">protested</a> Japan’s claims of sovereignty over the disputed Dokdo Islands. Nevertheless, Lee has sought greater engagement with Tokyo based on considerations of the national interest.High-level meetings and reciprocal visits have also helped strengthen dialogue between the two countries. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi <a href="https://japan.kantei.go.jp/104/diplomatic/202601/13rok.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">hosted</a> Lee in Japan in January 2026, with the two leaders discussing ways to strengthen cooperation in several areas, particularly the economy and supply chains. Then in a move that gave greater impetus to South Korea-Japan relations in May 2026, Lee and Takaichi <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/south-korea-japan-agree-boost-energy-cooperation-strengthen-security-ties-2026-05-19/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">held</a> another summit in South Korea and agreed to expand cooperation on liquefied natural gas and crude oil supplies, including storage and petroleum product swap arrangements.4. Maintaining a Flexible and Pragmatic Approach Toward the United States: Lee has pursued a flexible approach toward Washington aimed at protecting South Korea’s national interests while diversifying its partnerships. To this end, Seoul has maintained its strategic security and military alliance with the United States while also expanding its economic and diplomatic engagement with China. As part of Lee’s efforts to preserve South Korea’s strategic interests with Washington, Seoul <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/11/joint-fact-sheet-on-president-donald-j-trumps-meeting-with-president-lee-jae-myung/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reached</a> a tariff agreement with the United States in July 2025, committing to $350 billion in investment in the United States. Lee also held a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Gyeongju in October 2025, during which Trump reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to the defense of the Republic of Korea.Amid declining confidence in U.S. security commitments, Lee has also sought to reduce South Korea’s dependence on the United States. This was evident in his August 2026 <a href="https://www.koha.net/en/bote/presidenti-i-korese-se-jugut-ben-thirrje-per-pavaresi-ushtarake-nga-shba-ja" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">call</a> for Seoul to regain wartime operational control of its forces from Washington, after Trump ordered the Department of War to scale back joint military exercises between the two countries. Nevertheless, Lee refrained from adopting a sharper tone toward Washington and reaffirmed the importance of the U.S.-South Korea <a href="https://www.npr.org/2026/08/18/g-s1-139096/s-korea-stresses-us-alliance-amid-confusion-over-trump-drill-cut" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">defense alliance</a>. As part of efforts to maintain Washington’s confidence, the South Korean presidential office also said that Seoul and Washington were discussing potential South Korean military contributions to efforts to restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, in an apparent attempt to assuage U.S. dissatisfaction over Seoul’s refusal to participate directly in military operations against Iran.5. Expanding South Korea’s International Partnerships: Like his predecessor Yoon Suk Yeol, Lee has shown considerable interest in deepening partnerships with <a href="https://www.koreajoongangdaily.com/korea/lees-visits-to-singapore-philippines-expands-cooperation-on-ships-nuclear-power-ai-with-southeast-asia/12517927" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Southeast Asian</a> countries. He visited Singapore and the Philippines in March 2026, with talks focusing on bilateral cooperation in areas including the economy, trade, industry, artificial intelligence, and nuclear energy. These visits underscored Southeast Asia’s growing importance in South Korean foreign policy.Strategic GainsSouth Korea’s pragmatic foreign policy approach has contributed to several strategic gains for Seoul, including the following:1. Strengthening South Korea’s Regional Economic Integration: Seoul’s diplomatic engagement is helping deepen its integration into the regional economy, particularly as Japan and South Korea have agreed to develop their economic <a href="https://keia.org/analysis/lee-jae-myung-tests-south-koreas-pragmatic-diplomacy-between-china-and-japan/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">partnership</a> in response to rapid changes in the international environment and global trading system. Lee’s pragmatic policy could also accelerate South Korea’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which requires the approval of Japan and the other members.However, several obstacles remain, particularly the need for Japan and South Korea to reach an understanding over Seoul’s restrictions on the import of certain Japanese food products, including seafood, originating in Fukushima and several other prefectures—restrictions that have been in place since the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster.2. Potential Chinese Support for Reviving Inter-Korean Talks: Improving China-South Korea relations could encourage Beijing to play a role in efforts to revive dialogue between Seoul and Pyongyang. In August 2026, South Korea’s Foreign Ministry <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-considering-summit-with-seoul-november-south-korean-foreign-ministry-says-2026-08-19/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">said</a>, citing Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, that Beijing was considering a summit between the Chinese and South Korean leaders on the sidelines of the APEC summit scheduled for November 2026. Wang also <a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/08/21/asia-pacific/politics/south-korea-china-trump-kim/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">expressed</a> Beijing’s hope that the two Koreas would move toward peaceful coexistence after Seoul called on China to play a constructive role in facilitating North Korea’s return to dialogue. Such efforts could help ease military tensions on the Korean Peninsula.3. Strengthening Maritime Deterrence and Nuclear Energy Capabilities with U.S. Support: South Korea is seeking to leverage its defense alliance with the United States to strengthen its own defense capabilities and military posture, while reducing its reliance on U.S. security commitments. As part of this effort, Seoul has secured President Trump’s approval to build nuclear-powered <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/oct/30/trump-gives-south-korea-permission-to-build-nuclear-powered-submarine" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">submarines</a> and is now seeking to turn that approval into concrete cooperation on their development, which could strengthen South Korea’s maritime deterrence capabilities.The United States has also announced its support for South Korea’s pursuit of <a href="https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/us-affirms-support-for-korean-uranium-enrichment" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">uranium</a> enrichment and the reprocessing of nuclear fuel for peaceful purposes, potentially helping ensure stable fuel supplies for the country’s nuclear power plants.4. Greater Flexibility to Diversify International Partnerships: Lee’s emphasis on pragmatism, the national interest, and economic security has given Seoul greater flexibility to <a href="https://seoulinstitute.com/pragmatism-over-pivot-how-south-koreas-new-government-is-redefining-its-central-asia-strategy/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">diversify</a> its international partnerships. This has involved balancing relations with Washington and Beijing, seeking new and alternative markets, and deepening economic and trade partnerships with Southeast Asian countries, particularly the Philippines and Singapore.Seoul has also sought to expand cooperation with Central Asian countries, particularly by strengthening economic and mining ties with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Such cooperation could reduce South Korea’s dependence on China for rare earth minerals, as Seoul strives to avoid a repeat of the supply disruptions that occurred following Beijing’s tightening of export controls in 2025.Overall, more than a year into Lee Jae-myung’s presidency, his emphasis on pragmatic, national-interest-based diplomacy appears to have become a defining feature of South Korea’s international engagement and an important instrument for strengthening Seoul’s regional and global position. This approach has borne fruit across diplomatic, economic, and political spheres. Lee’s visit to France in September 2026 illustrates how Seoul is continuing to pursue this policy, as it seeks to broaden ties with major international powers, diversify partnerships in ways that advance its interests, ease diplomatic tensions, and explore opportunities to participate in international arrangements that could provide middle powers with greater autonomy from both Washington and Beijing.

Key Features of South Korea’s Foreign Policy Under Lee Jae-myung