Arya News - President Lee Jae Myung, seeks to accelerate South Korea`s “pragmatic diplomacy” through strengthening supply chain cooperations, boosting exports, and promoting `K-Culture` lifestyle products.
SEOUL – South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, now in his second year in office, is accelerating his “pragmatic diplomacy” focused on national interests, such as boosting exports and investments through diplomacy.
Even though Lee is a left-wing president, he is maintaining the policy of working with Japan that was established by the conservative administration of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. Lee is also seeking to improve relations with China.
“The trip will extend the horizon of South Korea’s pragmatic diplomacy to South America,” Lee said.
He was referring to his visit to Brazil, Chile and Argentina from July 26 to Aug. 1, his first there since taking office.
Before heading to South America, he posted on X, “The trip will further strengthen economic cooperation, which will serve as the foundation for future growth.”
In addition to seeking to strengthen supply chains through cooperation with these three countries, which are rich in critical minerals, he was accompanied by representatives from companies related to “K-culture,” including those producing South Korean cosmetics. These products are becoming more popular in South America, and Lee is also looking to expand market access.
In early July, he attended NATO’s Indo-Pacific Partners (IP4) summit. Lee was the only leader among the IP4 nations, which includes Japan, Australia and New Zealand, to attend the summit.
While demonstrating a commitment to NATO, he directly urged the other leaders to purchase South Korean weapons.
South Korea is strengthening its defense industry and expanding its sales channels in Eastern Europe and elsewhere, leveraging its strengths of quick delivery times and affordable prices.
During Lee’s meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, they agreed to begin negotiations on the joint procurement of military supplies.
According to the South Korean Presidential Office, if an agreement is reached, it would allow South Korean companies to enter NATO’s joint procurement market, estimated to be worth 15 trillion won (about ¥1.7 trillion) annually.
Although there was no formal meeting between Lee and U.S. President Donald Trump at the Group of Seven summit in June, they sat next to each other during a dinner and spoke for 1½ hours. Lee also made plans to play golf with Trump in order to build a personal relationship.
Lee is focusing so much on diplomacy because exports have a significant impact on the South Korean economy and national interests.
Buoyed by rising global demand for semiconductors, exports in the first half of 2026 reached $496.7 billion (about ¥80 trillion), a record high for a six-month period. South Korean media have reported that annual exports could exceed $1 trillion, potentially making South Korea the fourth largest exporter after China, the United States and Germany.
Lee brings a large delegation of business leaders on each of his overseas trips, seeking to create business opportunities at summits.
Prioritizing Japan relations
Successive left-wing administrations have maintained the U.S.-South Korea alliance while also prioritizing relations with China. Regarding North Korea, they have prioritized dialogue and pursued a policy of reconciliation.
Lee is similar to previous left-wing administrations in that he is finding a balance between the United States and China, and also seeking to resume dialogue with North Korea. However, his administration differentiates itself from previous left-wing administrations when it comes to Japan relations.
When he was a part of the opposition, Lee criticized Yoon’s approach of working to improve relations with Japan, referring to it as “humiliating diplomacy.”
However, since taking office, Lee has made a complete about-face, continuing the cooperative framework, including reciprocal visits, which was established by the Yoon administration.
With the future of U.S.-South Korea relations being uncertain with the Trump administration, and with the security environment in Northeast Asia becoming more severe due to such situations as Russia and North Korea cooperating militarily, Lee likely has no choice but to prioritize cooperation with Japan.
There is also a significant difference between Lee’s administration and previous left-wing administrations in regard to personnel appointments.
While previous administrations appointed bureaucrats with expertise in North Korean relations to key foreign and security policy posts, Lee has placed former diplomats who prioritize coordination with Japan and the United States at the center of policymaking. This reflects a stance that prioritizes practical benefits over ideology.
At the center of foreign and security policy is Wi Sung-rak, head of the National Security Office at the Presidential Office. Wi is a former diplomat and has served as a foreign policy adviser to Lee since he was a presidential candidate. Wi has been consistently emphasizing the importance of relations with Japan.
Lee went to Japan for his first overseas bilateral summit as president in August 2025, two months after taking office.
Many past presidents, regardless of whether they were left wing or conservative, have traditionally chosen the United States as their first destination. This marks the first time since the normalization of Japan-South Korea relations in 1965 that a South Korean president has visited Japan before visiting the United States.
Lee’s close aides supported this unprecedented decision.
Public opinion shifting
The course of the Lee administration’s pragmatic diplomacy will be determined by the outcome of internal strife within the ruling party, the Democratic Party of Korea.
Within the party, there are factions that prioritize historical issues and demand a tough stance regarding Japan.
On the other hand, shifting public opinion is putting the brakes on the spread of hard-line rhetoric toward Japan.
In South Korea, particularly among the younger generation, the number of people who are more positive about Japan is increasing.
According to a survey conducted in July by South Korea’s East Asia Institute, 54.3% of respondents said they had a positive view of Japan — the highest percentage since the survey began in 2013.
At this point, Lee also seems to believe that criticizing Japan would be detrimental to his administration.