Jeong Cheongrae: "Special Committee for APEC Follow-up Support to Be Established... Special Law on U.S.-Bound Investments to Be Processed Swiftly"

Democratic Party Supreme Council Meeting on November 3
Leader Jeong Cheongrae: "APEC Achievements Are First-Class"

Jeong Cheongrae, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, highly praised the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit and pledged to swiftly process a special law related to U.S.-bound investments as a follow-up measure, as well as to establish a Special Committee for APEC Follow-up Support.

Yonhap News Agency

At the Supreme Council meeting of the Democratic Party held at the National Assembly in Yeouido on November 3, Jeong stated, "We will prepare and promptly process a special law regarding investments in the United States," adding, "At the party level, we will do our utmost to ensure that the achievements of APEC are communicated to the public, including the establishment of a tentatively named Special Committee for APEC and Tariff Negotiation Follow-up Support."

Jeong further emphasized, "Starting with the Sejong party member training session tomorrow, I will personally hold briefing sessions nationwide to publicize the achievements of APEC," and called on each regional committee to also take action to promote APEC's outcomes in their respective areas.

Jeong devoted his entire morning meeting remarks to celebrating APEC's achievements. He shared, "Last weekend, I visited Suncheon Arettjang Market, and the merchants gave me a thumbs up, saying, 'APEC is first-class.' During APEC week, K-culture companies showcased music and dance, businesses held 'chimaek' gatherings, and the stock market is on the rise."

He continued, "APEC was literally a festival and celebration for Korea, and it was a decisive victory for President Lee Jaemyung's pragmatic, national interest-driven diplomacy." Jeong also noted that significant achievements were made in the fields of economy, security, and Korea-China relations as a result of APEC.

Kim Byungki, the Democratic Party's floor leader, also stated, "We will carry forward the achievements of the Gyeongju APEC Summit through legislation and the national budget." Kim noted, "The review of next year's budget, amounting to a record 728 trillion won, is now in full swing," and added, "We have achieved practical, national interest-driven diplomatic results in the Korea-U.S. tariff negotiations, the Korea-China summit, and investment attraction. As the world is now paying attention to Korea, we must ensure these achievements lead to improvements in people's lives and the future of our industries."

Meanwhile, regarding the role of the special committee, Park Suhyeon, the Democratic Party's chief spokesperson, told reporters after the Supreme Council meeting, "Once the government completes the fact sheet documenting the negotiation results, the committee will likely focus on supporting the tasks that the National Assembly needs to undertake," and added, "We will also carry out public relations activities to inform the public of the achievements and help them understand what changes and impacts these will have on their lives."

While the People Power Party has emphasized that the contents of the tariff negotiations require parliamentary ratification, Chief Spokesperson Park stated, "Only when the government requests cooperation from the National Assembly on specific matters can we decide how to proceed," and added, "At this stage, debating whether to pursue ratification or a special law is not particularly meaningful."