President Lee Jae Myung said Tuesday that disagreements can exist between countries, while stressing that Korea must put its national interests first and “avoid submissive attitudes or excessive servility” in its diplomacy. Speaking to ministers and presidential aides during a live broadcast of the weekly Cabinet meeting at Cheong Wa Dae, Lee made the remarks as disputes over intelligence sharing, U.S. visa delays for high-profile Korean figures and limited access to senior White House officials heightened concerns over the Korea-U.S. alliance. Conservative politicians have accused Lee’s liberal government of undermining decades of trust, while progressive figures have argued that some objections from the U.S. are misplaced. “Disagreements can exist between countries ... how can their interests always align when each pursues its own national interests?” Lee said, adding that countries must continually discuss their differences, make their positions clear and work toward agreement. He called for efforts “to minimize differences and keep them within manageable bounds,” but em