On May 26th, Lee Jae-myung, the candidate of the Democratic Party for the 21st presidential election in South Korea, stated that if elected successfully, he would prioritize national interests and pursue a pragmatic diplomacy.

According to reports from Reuters and Yonhap News Agency, Lee Jae-myung said on the social platform Facebook on the 26th that if elected, he will restore the inter-Korean communication lines, including military hotlines, which were cut off during the previous government, and seek dialogue and exchange with North Korea. He said he will strive to create a Korean Peninsula that coexists with \nuclear-free peace\ and achieve goals through social dialogue with the citizens. He hopes to strengthen coordination with the United States and seek to establish a multi-level cooperation framework with the international community to make progress in resolving the North Korean nuclear issue.

Li Zaiming also stated that China is an important trade partner for South Korea and a country that has a significant impact on the security of the Korean Peninsula. He criticized the previous government of Yoon Seok-yeol for its missteps, leading to the Sino-South Korean relationship reaching the \worst state,\ and declared his intention to \stably manage\ the Sino-South Korean relationship.

Li Zaiming also emphasized the need to further consolidate the cooperation between the United States, Japan, and South Korea. Regarding the United States, he stated that he would develop the relationship between the U.S. and South Korea into a \comprehensive strategic alliance.\ As for Japan, he pointed out that Japan and South Korea are important cooperative partners. While South Korea strengthens cooperation with Japan, it will handle historical disputes and territorial issues between the two countries on principle; in terms of economy, society, and culture, it is necessary to change direction and solidify a consistent and stable bilateral relationship foundation with a future-oriented attitude.

In the field of national defense security, Lee Jae-myung stated that he will upgrade the Korea-US extended deterrence system and the Korean trilateral system based on the Korea-US joint defense posture, and build a defense posture to counter North Korea's asymmetric threats. At the same time, he will restore the status of the Korean military, which was damaged due to illegal martial law, and regain the trust of the people in the military.

Previously, on the 25th, Lee Jae-myung also stated that he would establish an \Emergency Economic Response Task Force\ to revitalize the economy and restore people's livelihoods, and would not carry out political retaliation against specific individuals.

Former South Korean President Yoon Seok-youl was impeached for suddenly declaring a \state of emergency\ last December. The South Korean Constitutional Court passed the impeachment ruling on President Yoon Seok-youl on April 4th this year, and Yoon Seok-youl was immediately removed from the presidential position. On June 3rd, South Korea will hold a presidential election. According to a report by People's Daily on May 26th, as the South Korean election approaches, Lee Jae-myung's support rate is 46.6%, continuing to lead, followed by the ruling party People Power Party candidate Kim Moon-soo with 37.6%. The candidate from the New Reform Party, Lee Jun-seok, is rapidly rising with a support rate of 10.4%, becoming the \dark horse\ that draws much attention.