South Korean President Lee Jae Myung Emphasizes Alliance with U.S.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 25 (UPI) — South korean president Lee Jae Myung underscored his priorities for strengthening the U.S.-ROK alliance, from boosting defense spending to engaging North Korea during a forum Monday,just hours after meeting with President Donald Trump.
lee emphasized at the Center for Strategic and International Studies a positive takeaway from his meeting with Trump despite some trepidation as some 200 professors and policymakers listened attentively.
Those who attended included former U.S. Trade Representative Carla A. Hills; U.S. Rep. Rob Portman (R-Ohio); Chairman Roy Ryu of the Korean Poongsan Corp.; former Secretaries of Defense chuck Hagel and william S. Cohen; and various current and former State Department officials.
John J. Hamre, the center’s president and chief executive officer, opened the event with praise for South Korea’s resilience amid recent political turmoil.
“President Lee’s election was not a normal election. It occurred in the context of a diplomatic crisis and a constitutional crisis in Korea,” Hamre said.”The Korean peopel stood up. The Korean people asserted their democracy, and it was very reassuring for those of us who have dedicated our lives to building a stronger Korea.
“You’re bringing that new direction for Korea, President Lee.”
Lee acknowledged that Korea has faced crises, but argued the country has consistently shown resilience and unity. He pointed to korea’s ability to sustain peace among diverse religions without conflict as a cultural model to the world.
With korea and the United States marking 70 years of partnership, Lee said that record has laid the foundation for a future rooted in shared democratic values.
“It is a dream that can come true because the people [Koreans] believe it,” Lee said.
south Korea overcame a coup on Dec. 7 when then President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law, and Lee noted that it ended through peaceful protest and the election of a new government by people who “cherish freedom and democracy.”
That, he contended, underscored Korea’s readiness to stand with the United States on global challenges.