Joseph Yun: "I Hope to Maintain Close Ties with the National Assembly"
A Friendly Atmosphere Fostered by Shared Chungcheong Roots
Jeong Cheongrae, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, met with Joseph Yun, acting United States Ambassador to South Korea, and stated, "President Lee Jaemyung will preside over a public debate at the United Nations General Assembly on the 23rd as the President of the UN Security Council," adding, "I hope there will be another opportunity to meet President Trump in the United States."
On the 5th at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Leader Jeong met with Acting Ambassador Yun and conveyed, "As President Lee Jaemyung mentioned, it is the hope of the Korean people that President Trump could become a peacemaker capable of reversing the deadlocked inter-Korean relations." Kang Sunwoo, the party's International Affairs Committee Chair, and Kim Youngbae, the ruling party secretary of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, were also present at the meeting.
Leader Jeong further stated, "At the end of October, President Trump is scheduled to visit the APEC summit in Gyeongju," and added, "I believe that simply having President Lee Jaemyung and President Trump meet and converse frequently could have a positive influence on both Korea-U.S. and inter-Korean relations."
Leader Jeong also remarked, "There is a Korean proverb that says, 'A neighbor is better than a distant relative,'" and expressed, "I hope that, like good neighbors, we can meet more often in the future rather than being like distant relatives."
Acting Ambassador Yun said, "I sincerely congratulate you on becoming the new leader of the Democratic Party, which has the longest history in Korea," and continued, "Around January, President Lee Jaemyung was in this position, and the future of this seat looks very bright."
Acting Ambassador Yun highlighted that the most impressive aspects of the Korea-U.S. summit were the establishment of a personal bond between the two leaders, the emphasis on the importance of the Korea-U.S. alliance, and the demonstration of a commitment to progress towards denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
Acting Ambassador Yun concluded, "We place great importance on close cooperation with the National Assembly," and added, "I look forward to continuing this strong partnership."
Leader Jeong and Acting Ambassador Yun created a friendly atmosphere by discussing their shared connection to the Chungcheong region. Continuing his remarks in English, Acting Ambassador Yun then switched to Korean and said, "(Leader Jeong and I) are from similar hometowns," adding, "I am from Chungnam."
In response, Leader Jeong said, "About ten years ago, singer Psy's 'Gangnam Style' was a big hit, but I am from Geumsan in Chungcheong Province-so I have 'Geumsan Style,' and Acting Ambassador Yun has 'Nonsan Style' from Chungcheong Province. So, our styles are similar as well."
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