President Lee Jae Myung: ”We will turn Korea Discount into Korea Premium” = South Korea

On the 3rd, at his first press conference since taking office, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung called the “Korea discount” a “Korea premium” in light of the division of North and South Korea and geopolitical characteristics in diplomacy and security.
President Lee held a press conference on the 30th day since his inauguration and revealed his plans for running the nation over the next 4 years and 11 months.
President Lee began by describing the achievements made in the fields of foreign policy and security over the past 30 days as having "declared the return of a democratic Korea and its return to the international stage."
"By attending the G7 summit, we announced to the whole world the restoration of democracy, the recovery of the economy, and the restoration of normal diplomacy," he said.
"Thanks to these efforts, we have been able to restore Korea's national dignity and broaden its diplomatic horizons," he said. President Lee continued, "We have made a start toward normalizing the nation, but there is still a long and difficult road ahead.
"Our number one responsibility is to ensure the safety and peace of our people's daily lives," he said. President Lee also said, "South Korea boasts the fifth-largest military power in the world. Based on our strong military power, we will thoroughly respond to provocations."
"We will prepare for these challenges and resume communication between the two Koreas, which has been severed, and pave the way for peace and coexistence on the Korean Peninsula through dialogue and cooperation," he said, expressing his intention to actively improve inter-Korean relations.
He also stated, regarding diplomatic relations, "We will protect peace and the lives of our people through pragmatic diplomacy centered on our national interests, based on the strong ROK-U.S. alliance, close ROK-U.S.-Japan cooperation, and prompt improvement of relations with China and Russia."
He stressed that "we will firmly transform Korea Discount into Korea Premium."