Kang Hunsik, Kim Yongbeom, and Wi Sunglak Share Behind-the-Scenes Stories of Korea-U.S. Negotiations in Newly Released YouTube Video
Tension Peaks Among Negotiation Teams Ahead of Gyeongju Summit
"U.S. Side Was Furious Over Stalled Talks" ... "We Fo
"I don't know if I should call it shocking... It was truly an outrageous proposal."
Kim Yongbeom, Chief of Policy at the Presidential Office, recalled in an account of the Korea-U.S. tariff and security negotiations, released on YouTube on the night of November 14, that he had this reaction after seeing the detailed negotiation proposal sent by the U.S. following the first Korea-U.S. summit in Washington, D.C. this past August. On July 30, the two countries had reached a broad agreement and proceeded with the first summit, but the detailed proposal later presented by the U.S. was vastly different from the direction previously discussed.
Kim said, "Ah, this must be the Eulsa Year," referencing 1905, the year of the Eulsa Treaty, which was signed under Japanese coercion. This was interpreted as an indirect way of expressing that the U.S. demands were unreasonable and that the negotiations were extremely difficult.
He went on to recall the situation at the Gyeongju summit, saying, "It was absolutely the worst right up until the agreement was reached." He added, "The U.S. side was extremely angry because President Donald Trump was coming to Korea (Gyeongju) and our positions were not narrowing, and those feelings were conveyed to us as well." He continued, "We fought to the end for a proposal we could at least endure, and we stood our ground firmly until the very last moment. There was a line we could not cross, and we made it clear that we could not make any further concessions."
The video, released under the title "Chemistry Explosion: Three Chiefs at the Presidential Office," was made public after the announcement of the "Joint Fact Sheet" summarizing the results of the Korea-U.S. trade and security negotiations. All three-Chief of Staff Kang Hoonshik, National Security Advisor Wi Sunglak, and Chief of Policy Kim Yongbeom-appeared in the video to explain the negotiation process before and after the Korea-U.S. summit in Gyeongju on October 29. This was likely due to the ongoing coordination between the negotiating teams of both countries until the finalization of the Joint Fact Sheet.
Chief of Staff Kang recalled that tensions were at their peak right up until just hours before the Gyeongju summit, and it was only after the agreement was reached that he was finally able to relax. He emphasized how intense the negotiations were, with the two countries holding as many as 23 ministerial-level meetings, and noted that President Lee Jaemyung was the most resolute participant in the negotiations.
He said, "The tension was at its maximum, and there was no narrowing of differences. Once it was over, I could finally relax." He continued, "The Chief of Policy and the National Security Advisor were mainly focused on persuading progress, while I took the firmest stance. But the President was even more resolute than I was."
Wi Sunglak, who was in charge of security negotiations, explained that "the key players reconsidered their positions at the last moment and stepped back to accommodate each other," describing how the negotiations were able to reach a dramatic conclusion. He added, "The President handled the situation well, and the staff came together to devise effective solutions. In the end, things turned out well."
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