South Korea’s new president pledges to work with U.S., other Indo-Pacific partners

Sentry

South Korea’s newly elected president said he will work closely with Japan and the United States to strengthen security in the Indo-Pacific.

Lee Jae-myung, who began his five-year term in June 2025, was governor of Gyeonggi province from 2018-21 and previously was a human rights and labor attorney.

Lee said he will counter North Korea’s threats and military aggression with “strong deterrence” based on his nation’s longtime alliance with the U.S. He will also work to “open a communication channel with North Korea and establish peace on the Korean Peninsula through talks and cooperation,” The Associated Press (AP) reported.

North Korea has shunned talks with South Korea and the U.S. since 2019 and has supplied troops and weapons to Russia for its war against Ukraine. South Korea, the U.S. and other nations suspect Russia is transferring technology to North Korea that can be used to develop Pyongyang’s illegal nuclear program.

During a call with Adm. Kim Myung-soo, chairman of the nation’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, Lee “urged the military to maintain a watertight readiness posture by closely monitoring developments in North Korea, grounded in the South Korea-U.S. combined defense posture,” the presidential office stated, according to the Yonhap News Agency.

The U.S. State Department said Seoul and Washington share “an ironclad commitment” to the alliance.

Lee appointed retired diplomat Wi Sung-lac as national security advisor, according to Yonhap. Wi previously was first secretary at the South Korean Embassy in Russia and South Korea’s negotiator in nuclear talks with Pyongyang in 2009.

“Based on his extensive policy experience and expertise in foreign and security affairs, I believe he will play a key role in achieving our national goals of pragmatic diplomacy, advanced defense, and a peaceful and prosperous Korean Peninsula,” Lee said.

He said he will work to strengthen relations with neighboring countries and boost Seoul-Tokyo-Washington cooperation.

“Through pragmatic diplomacy based on national interests, we will turn the crisis posed by the major shift in global economic and security landscapes into an opportunity to maximize our national interests,” Lee said, according to AP.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said he wants to hold summit talks with Lee “as early as possible” to further promote bilateral ties.

South Korea and Japan “share common interests,” Lee said. “Consistency in state-to-state relations is especially important.”

Sentry is a professional military magazine published by U.S. Strategic Command to provide a forum for national security personnel.