President Lee’s pragmatic diplomacy

[Anchor]

President Lee Jae-myung continued his phone conversations with foreign leaders today (Jun. 12).

Today, he spoke with the leaders of Vietnam and Australia.

Analysts suggest that the the change in the order of calls compared to the past reflects President Lee's pragmatic diplomacy.

Reporter Son Seo-young has the details.

[Report]

Following conversations with the leaders of the United States, Japan, China, and the Czech Republic, President Lee spoke today with Vietnamese President Lương Cường.

Compared to the usual practice of starting with neighboring major powers, this order is seen as an extraordinary arrangement.

Although the order varied slightly, it differs from the usual precedent of making calls to India, the UK, or Australia after the US, Japan, and China.

[Kang Yu-jeong/Spokesperson for the Presidential Office: "The two leaders agreed to expand and deepen cooperation between the two countries in strategic areas such as high-speed rail and nuclear power, in line with the comprehensive strategic partnership."]

The decision to prioritize the call with Vietnam is analyzed to be due to Vietnam being our third-largest trading partner after China and the United States, and it is also the country that provided South Korea with a trade surplus last year second to the U.S.

[Kang Yu-jeong/Spokesperson for the Presidential Office: "President Lee requested special interest and support for the smooth activities of our companies operating in Vietnam, and President responded positively."]

President Lee also spoke with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

The two leaders agreed to strengthen cooperation related to defense, arms, clean energy, and supply chains, including critical minerals.

The Presidential Office stated that they also agreed to cooperate for the successful hosting of the APEC summit to be held in Gyeongju this year.

Following yesterday's call with the Czech Republic, with whom we signed the final contract for the nuclear power plant construction project, today’s calls were with Vietnam and Australia.

The change in the order of calls is interpreted as reflecting President Lee's focus on prioritizing the economy in his pragmatic diplomatic approach.

This is KBS News, Son Seo-young.