Ahead of his official visit to China, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung gave an exclusive interview to China Media Group (CMG) at the Blue House. It is learned that this was the first official interview granted by the South Korean Presidential Office since its return to the Blue House, underscoring the new government’s strong emphasis on relations between China and South Korea.
President Lee noted that the current international environment is marked by instability, with rising tensions and disputes among some countries. Against this backdrop, he said, strengthening China–South Korea relations is of critical importance for Seoul. The two countries, he explained, are closely interconnected across history, economics, geopolitics, politics, and security. Peace and stability in Northeast Asia, founded on mutual respect and shared prosperity, are vital interests for both China and South Korea.
He acknowledged that in recent years, misunderstandings and disagreements have emerged between the two sides, to some extent hindering the development of bilateral ties. The primary objective of his China visit, President Lee said, is to reduce or resolve these misunderstandings, elevate China–South Korea relations to a new level, and foster a more mature partnership in which both countries can support each other’s development.
During the visit, President Lee will lead an economic and trade delegation of nearly 200 members, incorporating South Korea’s key initiatives. He emphasized that economic and trade relations between the two countries are extremely close and contain many mutually beneficial elements. In the past, China–South Korea economic cooperation largely followed a vertical model, combining South Korea’s advanced technology and capital with China’s labor force. Today, however, under the outstanding leadership of President Xi Jinping, China has achieved remarkable economic growth and development, surpassing or pulling ahead of South Korea in several areas of technology and capital.
In this context, President Lee stressed the need to reshape bilateral economic cooperation into a more horizontal framework based on equality and balanced partnership. He highlighted emerging sectors—such as artificial intelligence and high-tech industries—as key areas where new, equal-footed cooperation can be established to promote shared development.
President Lee further observed that China currently holds a global leading position in renewable energy, particularly in solar photovoltaic technology. He praised China’s strong capacity to mobilize national resources for research and development and to guide industrial advancement. Cooperation with China, he said, could open a vast “window of opportunity” for South Korea.
Addressing regional security, President Lee underscored that maintaining peace and stability in Northeast Asia—including issues surrounding the Taiwan Strait—is of paramount importance to South Korea. He reaffirmed that Seoul will continue to respect and adhere to the one-China policy.
Source: Swarna–Hashim–Lily, China Media Group.