South Korea’s liberal presidential candidate, Lee Jae-myung, has pledged to restore communication channels with North Korea, including the military hotline, if elected in the upcoming June 3 election. He made the promise on Monday, stating that renewed dialogue with Pyongyang would be a priority under his leadership.
Communication between the two Koreas, previously maintained through various hotlines, has been suspended since 2023 following a sharp decline in inter-Korean relations.
Lee, who currently leads opinion polls, also addressed South Korea’s broader foreign policy goals in a Facebook post. He criticised the previous administration for allowing ties with China to reach their “worst state” and vowed to manage relations with Beijing more stably. He also pledged to elevate the US-South Korea partnership into a comprehensive strategic alliance and handle historical and territorial disputes with Japan based on principle, while reinforcing trilateral cooperation with the US and Japan.
Advisers to Lee’s main conservative rival, Kim Moon-soo, noted similarities between the two candidates’ foreign policy positions, particularly regarding alliances with the US and dialogue with North Korea. However, Kim Gunn, a former nuclear envoy and one of Kim Moon-soo’s foreign policy advisers, accused Lee of shifting his stance to appeal to centrist voters.
Another adviser, Kim Hyungsuk, a former vice unification minister, argued that Lee’s proposals focused too heavily on engagement with the North without adequately addressing the threat posed by its nuclear weapons programme.
“So I think that regarding the pledges laid forth by Mr Lee, we will have to see if he can put them into action,” Kim Gunn told foreign media at a briefing on Monday.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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