Yonhap News Summary: Lee's Pacemaker Role, N. Korea Destroyer, and More

The following is the first summary of major stories moved by Yonhap News Agency on Monday.

■ Lee reaffirms commitment to 'pacemaker' role to promote N. Korea-U.S. dialogue

NICE, France -- President Lee Jae Myung has reaffirmed his commitment to playing a "pacemaker" role in promoting the resumption of dialogue between North Korea and the United States, saying the move could help halt the advance of Pyongyang's nuclear capabilities.

The president reiterated the commitment during a written interview with French media outlet Le Monde, published Sunday, as Lee arrived in Nice for the first stop of his four-day trip to France, which will include a summit with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris.

■ (LEAD) N. Korea commissions nuclear-capable naval destroyer Kang Kon

SEOUL -- North Korea has commissioned its new naval destroyer Kang Kon, state media said Monday, as the country pushes to modernize its naval assets and sharpen its combat readiness at sea with nuclear-capable vessels.

Leader Kim Jong-un attended the commissioning ceremony held a day earlier at the eastern port city of Wonsan, where he called the new 5,000-ton destroyer "essentially an offensive destroyer" and part of "the state nuclear counteraction system," according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

■ (LEAD) Justice minister nominee denies illegal COVID-19 treatment lobbying allegations

SEOUL -- Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won on Monday denied allegations of illegal lobbying for a COVID-19 treatment in 2021, while acknowledging he should have been more careful in his request over the medication at the time.

Kim, a two-term lawmaker, has faced accusations of unlawful solicitation for allegedly asking the then food and drug safety minister to speed up the treatment's clinical trial approval at a broker's request.

■ Lee's approval rating hits new low of 37.4 pct: poll

SEOUL -- President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating has slipped to a new low of 37.4 percent, marking the eighth consecutive week of decline, a poll showed Monday.

In the poll conducted on 2,510 adults from Monday to Friday by Realmeter and commissioned by the EKN newspaper, Lee's approval rating fell 1.5 percentage points from the previous week.

■ (LEAD) S. Korea, U.S., Japan kick off 3-way military exercise

SEOUL -- South Korea, the United States and Japan began a five-day joint military exercise Monday, proceeding on schedule even as key Seoul-Washington drills were recently scaled back upon U.S. President Donald Trump's order.

The multidomain Freedom Edge exercise kicked off in international waters east and south of South Korea's southern island of Jeju, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in a press release.