President Lee: "Don't Make an Issue of Minor Differences Between South Korean and U.S. Intelligence Agencies"

President Lee Jae-myung meets reporters over tea at Chunchugwan on the 19th
"If we make disagreements an issue, we have no choice but to follow the other country"

President Lee Jaemyung said on the 19th, amid controversy over “unusual developments” involving the South Korean and U.S. intelligence agencies, that “the mere fact that there are disagreements should not be made into such a big issue.” He criticized the response, saying, “When there are disagreements between countries, if you attack your own government and make it seem as though having a different view is itself a problem, you will ultimately have no choice but to go along with the other country in negotiations. I really don’t understand it.”

President Lee Jaemyung speaks with reporters in the lobby of Chunchugwan at Cheong Wa Dae, where journalists gather to cover the news. Oct. 19, 2026. Yonhap News Agency

President Lee made the remarks while meeting reporters at Chunchugwan that day. He said, “It is hard to find anywhere in the world a case where a government is attacked for having different domestic or political positions on diplomatic matters.” He added, “The only way to eliminate disagreements between countries is to simply do everything the other side asks,” and explained that “the differences between the South Korean and U.S. intelligence agencies are not because anyone did anything wrong, but are just minor differences that arise as each side works to protect its own national interests.”

President Lee continued, “There are many issues between South Korea and the United States. How could there not be?” He stressed, “There are issues between South Korea and Ukraine, with Japan and Russia, and with Europe as well.” He added, “They are all independent, sovereign countries, so their positions on the situation and the interests at stake for their national interests are all different.”

President Lee also emphasized, “Finally, the Republic of Korea is no longer the Korea of yesterday. Whether in industry, economic standing, cultural capabilities, or diplomatic and security standing, we must be different from the Korea of yesterday. It is also my responsibility to build that kind of Korea.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.