Lee Jae-Myung Foreign Policy Shift Alienates Allies, Stirs Rivals

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Prime Minister nominee Kim Min-seok. Photo: News1

Further underscoring his foreign policy shift, Lee appointed Kim Min-seok as prime minister. Kim is known for having been denied a US visa over his alleged involvement in the violent 1985 occupation of the American Cultural Center in Seoul – a student-led protest widely regarded as anti-American. (The US embassy later said the visa denial had been the result of administrative error.)

The appointment is widely seen as a clear signal that Lee's administration is willing to
deprioritize relations with the US in favor of a foreign policy more aligned with leftist views.

Pro-China comments and domestic backlash

Lee's foreign policy leanings were already visible during the 2024 campaign. In March of that year, he said South Korea should not involve itself in the China–Taiwan conflict.“Why does [the Yoon administration] harass China? Just say 'xie xie' to China and 'xie xie' to Taiwan,” he said, making a hand gesture of gratitude that drew laughter from the crowd.

His remarks were praised by Chinese commentators online, who called him“the smartest and most intelligent politician” in South Korea and suggested his comments would help restore economic ties with China.

In South Korea, however, the response was more critical. The opposition People Power Party accused Lee of adopting a“subservient” stance and failing to defend South Korea's national interests.

A return to the Moon Jae-in doctrine

Lee's early actions signal a return to the leftist foreign policy framework of former president
Moon Jae-in, characterized by engagement with North Korea and a more openly adversarial
stance toward both the US and Japan.

However, critics argue that Lee's approach may be more confrontational and unilateral than
Moon's, particularly amid today's regional volatility.

Legal controversies and judicial reform push

Lee's legal record raises serious questions about his character and judgment. He
has had four convictions : impersonating a prosecutor, drunk driving, violation of election laws and obstruction of official duties and damage to public property, and violating election laws.

Currently, Lee is on trial for multiple charges, including election law violations, inducement of perjury, corruption in the Daejang-dong development project, illegal remittance to North Korea and misuse of public funds.

Amid these legal battles, Lee's Democratic Party moved swiftly to expand the number of
Supreme Court justices. On June 4, the same day as Lee's inauguration, a subcommittee of
the National Assembly passed a bill to increase the number of Supreme Court justices from 14 to 30, adding four new justices per year.

Since Lee will be appointing all 16 of the new Supreme Court justices, critics see the move as a deliberate attempt to tilt the judiciary and potentially sway the outcomes of ongoing legal cases.

Economic policy: embracing debt-fueled spending

On the economic front, Lee has embraced leftist expansionary fiscal policies. On May 22, he
advocated for increased national debt to support social welfare and economic recovery. He
dismissed debt aversion as“ignorant,” emphasizing that South Korea's debt-to-GDP ratio –
below 50% – is modest by international standards.