South Korea's presidential candidates faced off in a heated first TV debate on Sunday evening, ahead of a snap election on June 3 to choose a successor to former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was impeached over his short-lived martial law declaration in December.
Lee Jae-myung, the main opposition Democratic Party's candidate and the front-runner in the race, has faced criticism from opponents as being too friendly to China, citing his comments that South Korea does not need to get involved in China-Taiwan disputes.
But Lee, who considers pragmatism as key to his foreign policy, said the country "should not go all-in" on its alliance with Washington, and said managing China and Russia relations was important, although security cooperation with the U.S. and Japan is necessary.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.