President Lee Jae Myung said that while South Korea will stand with the United States on the international stage, it cannot afford to neglect its relationship with China.

Lee made the statement in an interview with the U.S. magazine Time published Thursday. 

The president said that South Korea will stand together with the U.S., as well as supply chains centered on the nation, in the new global order, but that his government must also manage its relationship with China in order to avoid antagonizing its neighbor.

The president added that without such management, South Korea risks becoming the front line of a battle between two different blocs.

Lee said that Seoul remains well-placed to act as a “bridge of exchange and cooperation” in the region by cementing ties with Washington.
 
The president said that one of his biggest accomplishments since taking office has been stabilizing South Korea's domestic political situation.