[theqoo] PRESIDENT LEE JAE-MYUNG ON TIME'S COVER FOR THEIR WEEKLY AFFAIRS

In an interview published on the 18th by the US current affairs weekly Time, President Lee revealed some of the behind-the-scenes negotiations that took place during last month’s South Korea–US summit. It is widely known that there was a tense tug-of-war between the South Korean and US governments, with the US pressing for an agreement right up until just before the summit began. Time reported that although President Lee was able to rebound in approval ratings thanks to the successful negotiations with President Trump, the US demands during the behind-the-scenes talks were extremely strict. President Lee reportedly said, “If I had agreed to that, I would have been impeached,” and that he had asked the US negotiation team to “present a reasonable alternative.”

Time also reported, “Despite their differing worldviews, President Lee believes he can build a rapport with President Trump.” President Lee, who grew up in a poor household and worked as a child laborer, and President Trump, a businessman from a wealthy background, have vastly different life trajectories and values. In the interview, President Lee said, “We both have a strong desire to accomplish many things and leave behind achievements people will remember. We also connect in that neither of us lived a mainstream life like others.”

President Lee added, “President Trump has lived a successful life as a businessman. Although he may appear unpredictable on the surface, he is actually very results-oriented and pragmatic,” and stated, “He wouldn’t want an outcome where he appears to be the loser, so he won’t make irrational decisions.” He continued, “Because of that, we were able to communicate better than I expected.”

Regarding the North Korean nuclear issue, President Lee cited the 1994 case where North Korea agreed to a nuclear freeze in exchange for heavy fuel oil and light-water reactors, and said, “We need to pursue phased negotiations (freeze–reduction–denuclearization) that allow for easing of sanctions. I believe President Trump would agree with that.” He added, “If we simply tell North Korea to stop, do you really think they’ll halt their program? I believe continuing the current pressure-based approach will only lead North Korea to build more bombs.” President Lee said, “On the nuclear issue, we often frame the choice as binary, either tolerate North Korea’s nuclear weapons or achieve complete denuclearization. But I believe there’s a middle ground.”

He further explained a “three-stage denuclearization theory,” saying, “We need to differentiate short-term, mid-term, and long-term goals. In the short term, we need to stop North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs. We can offer some level of compensation for those steps. Then we push for arms reduction, and finally achieve complete denuclearization.”

President Lee also reaffirmed his previously stated position on the strategy of balancing between the US and China. He said, “We cannot return to the traditional formula of relying on the US for security and China for the economy.” He emphasized, “Our values of democracy and a market economy are clearly based on the South Korea–US alliance,” but also noted, “Given our geographic proximity to China, historical ties, and economic and people-to-people exchanges, we cannot completely sever ties with China. Therefore, we must manage the relationship at an appropriate level, and the Western world must understand this,” expressing a policy of ‘pragmatic diplomacy.’

source: https://www.hani.co.kr/arti/politics/bluehouse/1219371.html

original post: here

1. Wow he's so cool 

2. The president I chose!!

3. JaemP sure is good at photographing

4. So cool, JaemP💙

5. I love presidents who know how to work well

4. Wow

5. He's f*cking good

6. Ugh this is good 💙💙

7. Oh the photo came out well!!

8. Lee Jaemyung's words are so good, he's so right. He's logical and refreshing

9. Oh his force is strong ㅋㅋ

10. No but he's too cool!!

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