South Korea doesn’t need to pick between US and China, says presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung

Ruling Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung says he will seek US support for South Korea to have its own nuclear-powered submarines to counter North Korea

But Beijing remains an important partner to Seoul and its role in denuclearising Pyongyang ‘can’t be dismissed’

Reading Time:4 minutes

Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of South Korea’s ruling Democratic Party. Photo: EPA

Published: 1:00pm, 30 Dec 2021Updated: 5:11pm, 1 Mar 2022

South Korea should not feel forced to take sides between the US and China, and instead take its rightful place on the world stage as the 10th largest economy and a leading military power, according to presidential hopeful Lee Jae-myung.

He added that if elected, he would seek US support for South Korea to have its own nuclear-powered submarines to better counter threats from North Korea, while calling for sanctions on the hermit state to be eased. This would push forward denuclearisation talks that have stalled since a summit between former US president Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un collapsed in 2019.

Lee mentioned the Aukus alliance among the US, Australia and Britain that would see Australia build nuclear-powered submarines using US technology.

“It is absolutely necessary for us to have those subs. They are not weaponised in themselves, and technology transfer is under way to Australia,” he said in an interview with the South China Morning Post and two other media outlets.

“We can definitely convince the United States, and we have to.”

Lee Jae-myung and his wife Kim Hye-gyeong wave to supporters in southeastern city of Daegu earlier this month. Photo: EPA

China has characterised the Aukus alliance as an effort to counter its influence that could hurt regional stability.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x