Breaking Through US-China-Japan Bilateral Challenges 'Major Responsibility'... 40s Blue House Secretary Choe Jong-geon Appointed as First Vice Foreign Minister

Cheong Wa Dae: "Rich Practical Experience in US Diplomacy and North Korea Denuclearization Negotiations"... Promoting 'Confident Diplomacy Leading International Cooperation' as a National Agenda
Based on Practical Experience, Expected to Address Issues Such as North Korea Denuclearization Talks and Inter-Korean Exchange Cooperation with US Counterpart Deputy Secretary Biegun... Must Harmonize with Director Lee Do-hoon
Prolonged ROK-US Defense Cost-Sharing Talks, Bilateral Diplomatic Challenges Including ROK-Japan Forced Labor Compensation and Export Controls
First Non-Diplomat First Vice Minister

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] President Moon Jae-in's appointment of Choi Jong-geon, a non-diplomat and the Blue House National Security Office Peace Planning Secretary, as the First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs has drawn attention to his future actions. Since Choi has been deeply involved in North Korea-U.S. denuclearization negotiations and inter-Korean exchange and cooperation projects while working at the Blue House since July 2017, diplomatic circles view it as highly likely that he will support the stalled North Korea-U.S. denuclearization talks and the promotion of inter-Korean exchange and cooperation projects following the 'Hanoi No Deal.'

However, as the First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs oversees bilateral diplomacy and the Foreign Ministry's organization, Choi faces the challenging task of resolving strained South Korea-Japan relations, the prolonged U.S.-South Korea defense cost-sharing negotiations, and the issue of wartime operational control transfer, all of which have put the South Korea-U.S. alliance to the test. Additionally, with a series of sexual harassment incidents involving diplomats, there is also the task of initiating organizational reforms.

On the 14th, the Blue House explained in a written briefing, "The new Vice Minister Choi is a professor of political diplomacy and has served as the Peace Planning Secretary at the National Security Office under the Moon Jae-in administration. Based on his expertise in foreign affairs and security, he has accumulated extensive practical experience in U.S. diplomacy and North Korean denuclearization, and we expect him to carry out the national agenda of 'confident diplomacy leading international cooperation' without any setbacks."

Choi served as a professor at Yonsei University before joining the Blue House in July 2017 with the launch of the Moon Jae-in administration, working as the Peace Arms Control Secretary under the First Deputy Director of the National Security Office. After the Peace Arms Control Secretary Office was abolished in March last year and the Peace Planning Secretary Office was newly established under the Second Deputy Director of the National Security Office, he was appointed as Peace Planning Secretary, deeply involved in North Korea-U.S. denuclearization negotiations and inter-Korean exchange and cooperation projects.

During the last presidential election, he also served as the head of the task force at 'Policy Space for National Growth,' President Moon's think tank. Along with Moon Chung-in, the President's special advisor on unification, diplomacy, and security, and former Second Deputy Director Kim Ki-jung, he is known as part of the so-called 'Yonsei Line' (graduates of Yonsei University's Department of Political Science and Diplomacy). In 2018, he played a practical leading role in the September 19 inter-Korean military agreement and was reportedly involved in the process of postponing the termination notice of the South Korea-Japan General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) in November last year.

Since he has mainly dealt with bilateral issues, Choi faces numerous tasks to manage in the latter half of the Moon administration. Based on his practical experience at the Blue House, he is expected to coordinate with Lee Do-hoon, the head of the South Korea-U.S. working group responsible for North Korea-U.S. denuclearization negotiations and inter-Korean exchange and cooperation projects. He must also broaden mutual understanding with his American counterpart, Deputy Secretary and Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun, on bilateral and North Korea-related issues, as well as actively seek support from neighboring countries such as China, Japan, and Russia to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue.

With escalating U.S.-China tensions, devising a bilateral diplomatic strategy requires ingenuity. The U.S. is currently pressuring South Korea on issues including participation in the Economic Prosperity Network (EPN), a 'counter-China alliance,' Huawei sanctions, and China's implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law. Moreover, there is a possibility that Yang Jiechi, the Chinese Communist Party Politburo member in charge of foreign affairs, who oversees China's diplomacy, will visit South Korea soon, necessitating preparation.

Solutions must also be sought to restore the severely strained South Korea-Japan relations. Taking over from former Vice Minister Cho Se-young, an expert on Japan, Choi urgently needs to find ways to address contentious issues such as the forced labor compensation ruling, export controls, and the GSOMIA termination. Tensions are particularly high as the Japanese government has warned of a second round of economic retaliation over the cashing of assets of forced labor war crime companies.

Organizational reform is also Choi's responsibility amid internal and external criticism following a diplomat sexual harassment incident that caused diplomatic friction with New Zealand. The sexual harassment case involving diplomat A at the South Korean Embassy in New Zealand in 2017 against a local male staff member resurfaced after mediation between the parties failed recently and was reported by local media. Subsequently, allegations arose that the Korean government was not cooperating with the investigation, and the issue was even mentioned during a telephone call between the two countries' leaders, escalating into a diplomatic problem.

Meanwhile, Choi, born in 1974, graduated from the University of Rochester with a degree in political science, earned a master's degree in political science from Yonsei University, and obtained a Ph.D. in political science from Ohio State University. He is known as the first non-diplomat external appointee to the position of First Vice Minister responsible for the Foreign Ministry's organization.