South Korea presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung says to restore hotline with North Korea

South Korea's liberal presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung said in a Facebook message on Monday he would pursue the restoration of communication between Seoul and North Korea, including via a military hotline if elected.

Lee, who is the frontrunner in opinion polls for the June 3 election, also said he would "stably manage" relations with China, which he said had reached the "worst state" under the previous administration.

He vowed to develop the U.S.-South Korea relationship into a "comprehensive strategic alliance," and respond in principle to past historical and territorial issues related to Japan while strengthening cooperation between South Korea, the U.S. and Japan.