Sim Sang-jeung, the presidential candidate of the progressive Justice Party, pledged Thursday to overhaul the bilateral alliance with the United States if elected in the poll next week.
Sim made the remark during a forum at the National Assembly, saying the defense alliance has been "wandering" without a vision.
Sim Sang-jeung, presidential candidate of the Justice Party, speaks during a forum at the National Assembly in Seoul on May 4, 2017. (Yonhap)
"I will reset the South Korea-US alliance in a democratic manner," the former labor activist said. "I will open a horizon of peaceful cooperation as the starting point for respect for sovereignty and balance of national interests."
The alliance has emerged as a key election issue ahead of the May 9 vote. Last week US troops installed the THAAD missile defense system here, after which US President Donald Trump said he wants South Korea to pay for it.
"The controversy over the cost of THAAD is a morning call announcing the start of an overall re-examination of the South Korea-US alliance from its raison d'etre to the sharing of costs and responsibility, against the backdrop of the politics of world powers," Sim said.
The candidate argued that the review should begin with a thorough determination of the truth behind the deployment because it is a key example of the previous administration's "closed-door negotiations" and "monopolization of national security."
Sim also called for a parliamentary financial audit of US troops stationed here, citing the taxpayer money that goes into their upkeep, and if necessary, parliamentary testimony by the commander of the South Korea-US combined forces command.
"If the two countries' interests are different, the alliance should be adjusted," she said.
But she did not deny the value of the alliance itself to the extent that the countries' interests overlap.
Sim has recently ranked fourth in presidential polls with support of under 10 percent. (Yonhap)