South Korea’s Lee Jae-myung: Seoul must build cooperation with US Congress, expand outreach to state governments

The emphasis on Congress and state governments signals a hedge against relying on any single US administration, a structural shift in how Seoul manages its alliance rather than a tactical comment. This matters most for Korean firms with US exposure—trade, investment and regulatory matters often run through legislative and state-level channels that federal outreach alone does not cover. What remains unclear is the substance behind the stated intent: no specifics were offered, so whether this becomes a concrete outreach apparatus or stays declaratory is the open question worth watching.