Prime Minister nominee Kim Min-seok says now is the time to strengthen the South Korea-U.S. alliance from all aspects, including security, the economy, politics and culture.

During his confirmation hearing at the National Assembly on Tuesday, Kim also described the alliance as the core axis of South Korean politics and diplomacy.

With regard to the NATO summit set to open in The Hague, Netherlands, Kim cautioned it may be excessive to worry that the direction of diplomacy will either be anti-American or pro-China.

Amid concerns about President Lee Jae Myung’s decision not to attend, Kim stressed that due to various differences between the U.S. and European countries, the main session involving NATO’s member states was cut down to two-and-a-half hours, meaning there would likely be little opportunity for invited countries.

He explained that Lee decided not to go considering the possible impact it could have on the South Korean economy, adding that U.S. President Donald Trump’s meaningful participation would have likely been hampered by the situation in the Middle East.

The nominee also pointed out that Japan also decided not to attend the NATO gathering.

When asked about his history of being jailed for occupying the U.S. cultural center in Seoul during his college years, Kim said his participation in that protest was not fueled by anti-American sentiment, but was more about U.S. complicity in the Gwangju massacre in May 1980.

He also said he believes that the protest at the cultural center had in fact partially helped advance the South Korea-U.S. alliance in a positive manner.