Former National Assembly Speaker Park Byeongseok, Lawmakers Kim Taenyeon and Park Jeong Included in Delegation
No Meeting Expected with President Xi Jinping
China Visit Marks End of Special Envoy Dispatches; No US or Japan Envoys Planned
President Lee Jaemyung will dispatch a special envoy to China during the Korea-Japan and Korea-US summits. The Chinese delegation will be led by former National Assembly Speaker Park Byeongseok and will include four members: Democratic Party lawmakers Kim Taenyeon and Park Jeong, as well as Noh Jaeheon, Chairman of the East Asia Cultural Foundation.
On the 22nd, Presidential Spokesperson Kang Yujeong announced at a briefing at the Yongsan Presidential Office, "Our government has been sending special envoys to major countries to inform the international community of the return of democratic Korea and to explain the new administration's governing philosophy and foreign policy. This time, the President's special envoy will visit China from the 24th to the 27th."
Kang continued, "The delegation, including former Speaker Park, plans to meet with key figures and deliver President Lee's message to the Chinese side. The delegation will convey our government's commitment to the continued mature development of the Korea-China strategic cooperative partnership and will broadly exchange views on ways to enhance cooperation in various fields, including cultural and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries."
There appears to be no opportunity for the President's personal letter to be delivered directly to Chinese President Xi Jinping. Kang stated, "Given the importance of Korea-China-Japan and Korea-Japan-China relations, we decided to dispatch the special envoy. While the President's letter has been prepared, a meeting with President Xi is unlikely due to scheduling conflicts on both sides."
With this visit to China, the President's special envoy schedule will conclude. Kang said, "President Lee has dispatched special envoys to 12 countries so far. In the cases of the United States and Japan, the President himself is visiting for summit meetings, so separate special envoys were not sent."
Meanwhile, President Lee will depart on the 23rd for the Korea-Japan and Korea-US summits. On the afternoon of the 23rd, he will hold a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, and on the 25th, he will meet US President Donald Trump for the first time. The Korea-Japan summit is expected to focus on strengthening economic and security cooperation, centering on Korea-Japan and Korea-US-Japan trilateral coordination.
At the Korea-US summit, trade and security issues-areas that have become increasingly burdensome due to President Trump's unilateral diplomatic approach-are likely to be on the agenda. Since both summits will have significant impacts on the economy and security, the Presidential Office's diplomatic and security team, along with relevant ministries, are continuing consultations with the US government.
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