[Global Times reporter Li Xundian] The website of Time magazine published an exclusive interview with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung on the 18th. This is his first exclusive interview with western media since he took office. Lee Jae-myung said that South Korea will stand with the United States, but it needs to manage its relations with China and avoid confrontation.

Chen Qian, director of the Korean Peninsula Research Center at China¡¯s Modern International Relations Research Institute, said in an interview with the Global Times on Tuesday that the concept of South Korea¡¯s desire to play a mediative role among China and the United States was not put forward for the first time, behind which there is both historical policy continuity and realistic considerations based on the current international situation.

In an interview with the U.S. media, Li said: "The stabilization of domestic politics is one of my biggest achievements (since taking office)" and he said that South Korea is in a "very serious crisis" and the government at this time should push the economy back on track and ensure that the people enjoy more opportunities.

Time reported that from a geopolitical perspective, Lee Jae-myung hopes to position South Korea as a "bridge" between the East and the West. Although some critics believe that he may be too close to the United States, and whether Washington is still a reliable partner has been questioned, Lee Jae-myung insists that by consolidating its relationship with the White House, South Korea still has the conditions to act as a "bridge of communication and cooperation" in the region.

¡°We will stand with the United States in the new global order and in the U.S.-centric supply chain, but we need to manage our relationship with China to avoid confrontation with them,¡± Li said, saying he was concerned that South Korea ¡°can become a front-end position in two different camps of confrontation if mismanaged.¡±

In this regard, Chen Zhang told the Global Times reporter that South Korea's attempt to play a bridge between China and the United States can be traced back to the time of the Chinese-American government, with the core purpose of avoiding being forced to choose sides in the Chinese-American games.

Xi Jinping believes that the reiteration of Li¡¯s role as a ¡°bridge country¡± is closely linked to South Korea¡¯s upcoming 32nd informal meeting of the leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Coalition (APEC). As the host, South Korea hopes to promote signs of relief by inviting the leaders of the United States and China to participate in the meeting. If progress is made in facilitating the meeting of the leaders of the United States and China, it will not only help to alleviate the geopolitical pressure South Korea faces itself, but also increase its international influence.