Controversy Over Fukushima Contaminated Water After Korea-Japan Summit
Allegations of Wiretapping Before Korea-US Summit
Presidential Office Repeatedly Explains and Takes Strong Action Against New Allegations
Yoon's Economic Activities at Home Amid Sales Diplomacy in the US
The diplomatic capabilities of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration are being tested day after day. For the first time in 12 years, the Korean president made a solo visit to Japan, resulting in a Korea-Japan summit. However, instead of economic achievements, the summit was overshadowed by issues such as the forced labor solution and the contaminated water controversy. Ahead of the state visit to the United States, the administration has faced a series of changes in the diplomatic and security teams, followed by allegations of wiretapping and eavesdropping. The Presidential Office expressed regret that the government's efforts to secure economic cooperation in various fields on the international stage have been overshadowed.
On the 12th, a senior official from the Presidential Office said, amid the ongoing controversies just before the state visit to the U.S., "We have confirmed positions through various communication channels between Korea and the U.S., and the government has also stated its position," adding, "It is unfortunate to see attempts to undermine the diplomatic and economic achievements that can be confirmed through the visit."
The Presidential Office dismissed the allegations of wiretapping and eavesdropping at the Yongsan Presidential Office by U.S. intelligence agencies as "absurd false allegations," confirming the statements of the defense ministers of both countries that "a significant portion of the documents in question were forged." Kim Tae-hyo, the First Deputy Director of the National Security Office, who departed for the U.S. the previous day to finalize the agenda for the Korea-U.S. summit, upon arrival stated, "There is a position from the U.S. Department of Defense, and an investigation is ongoing, so many things are confusing, and we cannot speak rashly," but added, "The facts I mentioned have been confirmed by the U.S., and we need to take time and wait."
However, it is clear that the Presidential Office’s diplomatic strategy, which aimed to maximize security and economic achievements through a series of diplomatic engagements including the Korea-Japan summit, the Korea-U.S. summit, and the upcoming Korea-U.S.-Japan summit in May, has encountered setbacks. The Korea-Japan summit, personally led by President Yoon Suk-yeol, continues to face unfavorable public reactions regarding the forced labor solution, compounded by ongoing negative issues such as Fukushima contaminated water and seafood imports.
The atmosphere surrounding the Korea-U.S. summit is no different. Following the resolution of the controversy over cultural events involving stars from both countries, which led to the resignation of former National Security Office Director Kim Sung-han, a new controversy related to security?wiretapping and eavesdropping?has emerged. The Presidential Office has drawn a line, stating that these issues do not affect the state visit or the Korea-U.S. summit. Internally, however, it is reported that the newly appointed National Security Office Director Cho Tae-yong has been holding continuous meetings to manage and respond to the situation and has reported multiple times to President Yoon.
In particular, the Presidential Office is working hard to contain the controversy. Just the previous day, it expressed its position three times: through Deputy Director Kim’s briefing at Incheon International Airport, an official written statement from the Presidential Spokesperson’s Office, and a briefing by a key Presidential Office official. The Presidential Spokesperson’s Office issued a strong response to opposition parties claiming that the relocation of the Presidential Office to Yongsan provided a pretext for wiretapping, calling it a "self-harming act" and a "national interest-damaging act" that shakes the Korea-U.S. alliance. While initially focusing on preventing the spread of the issue by stating that fact-finding was a priority after the wiretapping allegations first surfaced, the Presidential Office now appears to be rebutting each individual claim to prevent public opinion from worsening before President Yoon’s state visit to the U.S.
Meanwhile, instead of commenting on the wiretapping allegations, President Yoon has been delivering a series of economic messages. On the 10th, at a senior secretaries’ meeting presided over by the president, he instructed preparations for a national strategy meeting to strengthen competitiveness in secondary batteries and semiconductors. The day before, at the groundbreaking ceremony of Kia’s electric vehicle-only factory in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, he promised unwavering policy support to adapt to the paradigm shift in the automobile industry. This is interpreted as President Yoon’s effort to personally oversee Korea’s key export items and production status amid six consecutive months of export contraction through last month.
President Yoon’s actions are also seen as efforts to ease the subdued mood in the domestic major industries ahead of his state visit to the U.S. In the export strategy meeting held in February, he pledged, "I will place all diplomacy at the center of the economy and exports and work on the front lines," indicating his intention to solidify the internal atmosphere before engaging in sales diplomacy. Since the sectors involved are directly or indirectly related to the U.S. Semiconductor Support Act (CSA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), President Yoon plans to repeatedly explain the investment intentions and difficulties of Korean companies to U.S. President Joe Biden during their meeting.
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