Lee vows to send special envoy to N. Korea, freeze public utility charges

Ruling party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung said Tuesday he will send special envoys to the United States, China, Japan and North Korea as soon as he is elected in an effort to help bring lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.

Lee of the liberal Democratic Party made the remark during a special press conference on the eve of the election, saying he will pursue pragmatic diplomacy centered on national interests and remove dangers of war from the divided peninsula.

"I will remove a threat of war on the Korean Peninsula," Lee said at a press conference at his party's headquarters in Seoul. "Based on our strong independent national defense capability, I will pursue pragmatic diplomacy centered on national interest to open a new path to peace and joint prosperity."

In regards to overcoming the COVID-19 crisis, Lee said he will issue an executive order to lift business curfews and freeze main public utility charges until the spread of the virus is over.

The former Gyeonggi governor also stressed that he will restore national unity after the election, saying he will have a panel under the presidential transition committee that looks into election pledges of each candidate that are in common.

"In the process of election, we inevitably had many conflicts," he said. "I will make a government of united people to heal them." (Yonhap)