Daegu City announced on the 16th that Mayor Hong Joon-pyo is scheduled to attend the inauguration ceremony of the 47th President of the United States, Donald Trump, to be held in Washington D.C. on the 20th.
This attendance at the inauguration is by invitation from the 60th Presidential Inaugural Committee of the United States. Mayor Hong Joon-pyo of Daegu will participate in the presidential inauguration ceremony, the inaugural parade, the presidential dinner, and the ‘Make America Great Again’ victory rally.
On the 7th, Mayor Hong Joon-pyo held a private meeting in Seoul with Paul Manafort, who served as the campaign chairman for Donald Trump’s 2016 U.S. presidential election campaign. They exchanged views on the U.S.-South Korea relationship under Trump’s second administration, the North Korean nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula, and the geopolitical situation in Northeast Asia including Japan and China.
At this meeting, Mayor Hong emphasized the theory of nuclear balance between North and South Korea and expressed his opinion on the necessity of South Korea’s independent nuclear armament. He also explained the importance of a mutually beneficial economic alliance based on advanced industries between the U.S. and South Korea, rather than unilateral benefits for either country.
His U.S. schedule includes departing for Washington on the 19th, attending the presidential inauguration on the 20th, followed by participation in the inaugural parade, presidential dinner, and the ‘Make America Great Again’ victory rally. He will also meet with political figures at a luncheon hosted by the Korean Ambassador to the U.S. and at a meeting invited by the Korean American Association, exchanging views on strengthening the solid U.S.-South Korea alliance and the progressive relationship between the two countries before returning on the 23rd.
Mayor Hong Joon-pyo of Daegu said, “Although the political situation is chaotic, we have wisely overcome numerous crises with the power of the people, and I believe the current confusion will soon be normalized and order restored.” He added, “To protect the lives and property of 50 million citizens, I will explain the U.S. policy toward South Korea to key figures in Trump’s second administration and return.”
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