Overview

• Lee Jae-myung leads polls at around 49% support as South Korea opens early voting for its June 3 presidential election.
• He described U.S. Forces Korea as critical to U.S. efforts to contain China and analysts view his remarks as cementing a pro-U.S. pivot.
• Lee reaffirmed support for Trump’s North Korea dialogue, pledged to reopen inter-Korean hotlines and engage Pyongyang to lower peninsula tensions.
• He rejected calls for redeploying U.S. nuclear weapons or developing a domestic arsenal while demanding a more fulsome Japanese apology for colonial rule.
• On trade, Lee pledged “reasonable and rational” discussions with Washington to secure tariff relief and forge a package deal by early July.