South Korea’s President Lee Jae-myung says he’ll bolster US-Japan ties and pursue talks with North

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s new President Lee Jae-myung said Wednesday he’ll pursue dialogue with North Korea while bolstering a trilateral partnership with the U.S. and Japan.

He said in his inaugural address a day after his election that his government will deal with potential North Korean aggressions with “a strong deterrence” based on the solid South Korea-U.S. military alliance. But he would also leave the door open for dialogue with North Korea and establish peace on the Korean Peninsula.

He said he’ll pursue pragmatic diplomacy and boost a trilateral Seoul-Washington-Tokyo cooperation based on the South Korea-U.S. alliance.

Lee, who rose from childhood poverty to become

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