[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Kim Sang-jo, Chief of Policy Office at the Presidential Secretariat, held his first phone consultation with Brian Deese, Chair of the U.S. National Economic Council (NEC), and reached a consensus to cooperate on issues such as climate change and economic and trade matters in the Asia-Pacific region.
Kang Min-seok, spokesperson for the Blue House, stated in a briefing at the Press Center on the 17th, "Both sides agreed that economic and trade cooperation between South Korea and the U.S. is being managed smoothly, and recognized the need to strengthen bilateral coordination and actively cooperate on issues such as COVID-19 response and global economic recovery going forward."
This is the first time a communication channel has been established between the Blue House Policy Office and the White House NEC.
During the call, Chair Deese praised South Korea's efforts in COVID-19 prevention and economic recovery, and identified proactive fiscal policy for the rapid recovery of the global economy as a top economic priority. Chief Kim agreed and evaluated that President Biden's campaign pledge, the "Build Back Better" policy, shares similarities with the South Korean government's expansionary fiscal policy and inclusive measures aimed at recovering from polarization.
They also formed a consensus on climate change. Spokesperson Kang said, "Both sides agreed that climate change is a promising area to strengthen cooperation between South Korea and the U.S." He added, "In particular, Chief Kim welcomed the U.S. rejoining the Paris Agreement and proposed joint efforts for the U.S.-led World Climate Summit and the upcoming P4G (Partnership for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030) conference to be hosted in Korea, to which Chair Deese responded with a commitment to close cooperation."
Additionally, both sides agreed on the necessity of economic and trade cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region and decided to maintain communication channels at the Blue House Policy Office and White House NEC levels for future bilateral policy coordination. Spokesperson Kang noted, "This is the first time a communication channel has been established between the Blue House Policy Office and the White House NEC," and added, "It reflects the increasing importance of economic cooperation between the Blue House and the White House."
However, the call was of an introductory nature, and specific topics such as South Korea's potential accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) were not mentioned. A Blue House official said, "This call was first proposed by the NEC side, and the atmosphere during the call was very positive."
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