Kim Jongin, former Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party Photo by Yonhap News
On July 14, the Presidential Office stated that there is no finalized list for the special envoy to the United States, and that it has not expressed any particular position regarding the participation of Kim Jongin, former Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party.
Presidential Office spokesperson Kang Yujeong, when asked during a briefing at the Yongsan Presidential Office about opposition to Kim's inclusion in the special envoy to the United States, said, "There is no finalized list of envoys yet."
Spokesperson Kang further explained, "The Presidential Office has never announced that Kim Jongin is included in the envoy," and added, "We have never revealed who has been decided as a member of the special envoy to the United States."
According to the ruling party, President Lee Jaemyung is known to have selected Kim Jongin, lawmaker Lee Eonju, and lawmaker Kim Wooyoung as members of the special envoy to the United States. However, there was negative public sentiment, as a scene was captured showing a Democratic Party lawmaker sending President Lee a negative opinion regarding the dispatch of Kim Jongin.
President Lee is expected to send the special envoy to the United States by the fourth week of this month at the latest. The special envoy will deliver President Lee's position ahead of the mutual tariff implementation date, which is scheduled for August 1.
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