"The One Who Jumps Off the Cliff Wins"... President Lee Considered Canceling Korea-U.S. Summit

Kim Yongbeom, the Chief of Policy Office, is preparing for a press briefing at the Yongsan Presidential Office on the 20th. Photo by Yonhap News

It has been revealed that President Lee Jaemyung even considered the drastic measure of canceling the South Korea-U.S. summit during his overseas trip. As the U.S. side repeatedly demanded the signing of a joint statement, President Lee directly instructed his aides that it would be acceptable if the summit fell through.

On September 1, Kim Yongbeom, Chief of Policy Office at the Presidential Office, appeared on the Maebul Show and said, "The United States pressured us to sign the reciprocal tariff agreement by any means during the summit," adding, "President Lee said it was fine not to hold the summit if necessary and that he could not sign anything unreasonable." According to Kim, President Lee told his aides during discussions, "The one who jumps off the cliff wins," showing his willingness to go as far as canceling the summit.

To lower the reciprocal tariff rates proposed by the United States, the South Korean government suggested a $350 billion investment fund for the U.S. on August 31. Although the two countries reached a broad agreement, the details of the text have yet to be fully coordinated. Even before the summit, the U.S. side hoped to quickly draft and sign a joint statement, but President Lee insisted that he could not agree to unfavorable terms.

Kim Yongbeom said, "Even when we left for Japan, I thought we might only have a summit with Japan and return," emphasizing, "That is how urgent the situation was." He added, "President Lee said that the national interest is the top priority, so it would be fine not to hold the summit, which made the aides feel at ease," and stressed, "The summit was held in a tense atmosphere, but it achieved results beyond expectations."

Kim also released a photo of his meeting with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, saying, "At one point, the atmosphere became tense, and I worried whether I might ruin the summit," but explained, "By the end, they understood what issues the Republic of Korea was raising."