New foreign minister puts peace on Korean Peninsula first
The first top diplomat in the Lee Jae Myung administration also began his term with a public apology for the Foreign Ministry's role under the previous Yoon Suk Yeol government, dismissing its diplomacy as driven by 'domestic political purposes' and marked by 'binary approaches.'
'We must coolheadedly assess the rapidly shifting realities of international politics and implement pragmatic diplomacy centered on the national interest,' Cho said Monday in his inauguration speech delivered in Korean.
'First and foremost, in this time of deepening geopolitical instability and tension, establishing peace on the Korean Peninsula is the top priority.'
Cho underscored, 'South Korea must ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula and create a path for dialogue with North Korea in close coordination with the US to that end.'
'Through a phased and pragmatic approach, we must make substantive progress in achieving peace on the Korean Peninsula and resolving the North Korean nuclear issue,' Cho added.
Cho opened his inauguration speech with a pointed critique of the Yoon administration's diplomacy, after emphasizing the growing weight of the foreign minister's role amid Seoul's increasingly fraught diplomatic and security environment and a rapidly transforming international order.
'We must pursue strategic and pragmatic diplomacy, placing the national interest at the center and grounding it in rationality, moderation and efficiency — all the more in times like these. Bipartisan support from the National Assembly is also essential,' Cho said.
Cho remarked that diplomacy was at times not guided by pragmatism or the national interest in recent years.
"Diplomatic issues were used for domestic political purposes, and there were many binary approaches in areas of diplomacy that should have been led by pragmatism and the national interest."
In his inauguration speech, Cho listed examples of diplomatic missteps under the Yoon administration.
"There were also inappropriate remarks made about foreign countries. Even when the chance of success in the Expo bid had become slim, we went all-in until the very end," Cho said.
"The Foreign Ministry's lawsuit against MBC was clearly wrong. On behalf of the Foreign Ministry, I offer an apology to MBC," Cho added.
The Foreign Ministry filed a lawsuit against local broadcaster MBC in December 2022 over its broadcast of a hot mic moment of then-President Yoon, with subtitles suggesting he used abusive language to criticize the US Congress during the UN General Assembly in September that year.
Cho also criticized Yoon for declaring martial law on December 3, 2024, 'in an attempt to subvert democracy not long after hosting the Summit for Democracy' in March of the same year.
'On behalf of the Foreign Ministry, I sincerely apologize to the public for the Foreign Ministry's failure to meet the expectations of the people throughout this entire process,' Cho said.
Win-win, not zero sum with US
Before the inauguration ceremony, Cho commented on pending issues, including tariff negotiations with Washington, during a doorstep interview at the Foreign Ministry building in Seoul.
Asked about his plans to visit the US, Cho responded, 'We are comprehensively coordinating with the US side to determine the most appropriate timing.'
'It hasn't been decided yet. I've heard that ministers from other ministries who have been directly involved in other negotiations may also go,' he added, suggesting the need for interministry coordination.
Cho was sworn into office less than two weeks before the Aug. 1 deadline for US 'reciprocal' tariffs on countries including South Korea, imposed by US President Donald Trump.
National security adviser Wi Sung-lac departed for the US again on Sunday, just 11 days after returning from a trip to Washington on July 9, in an effort to strike a comprehensive package deal with the US covering issues from tariffs to security.
On the Foreign Ministry's role in the comprehensive package deal, Cho said the ministry should find a 'win-win solution with the US side.'
'The Foreign Ministry, which needs to look at the Korea–US alliance in a broader context from a diplomatic perspective and work to develop the future of the alliance, should take a more macrolevel view in examining all such package deals and also offer its input,' Cho said.
'Based on my experience with negotiations, a non-zero-sum, win-win proposal always emerges. The Foreign Ministry can make that happen.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Korea Herald
an hour ago
- Korea Herald
Industry minister ends 2-day tariff talks with Lutnick without results
South Korean Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan has wrapped up his two-day tariff talks with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, without tangible results, sources said Saturday. Kim and Lutnick's second-day meeting, which took place at Lutnick's residence in New York, finished late Friday night (US time) without solid results, according to the sources familiar with the matter. The two had also met the previous day in Washington to discuss pending trade issues, including tariffs, non-tariff measures and industrial cooperation. In Friday's meeting, Kim is said to have presented a revised proposal to narrow their differences on contentious items, including the $100 billion investment plan by Korean companies in the US and what Washington calls "trade barriers" on beef and rice imports by Seoul. The Donald Trump administration has reportedly been pressuring Korea to lift its import ban on American beef from cattle aged 30 months or older and expand rice imports from the US. However, the advanced proposal appears to have fallen short of satisfying Lutnick, as the sources indicated South Korea needs further "internal discussions" based on the results of this week's negotiations. The presidential office is reportedly planning to hold another trade strategy meeting later in the day to discuss the next steps toward securing a tariff deal with the US, following a similar session held the previous day. South Korea faces added pressure in the negotiations as Japan, one of its major export competitors, recently concluded a trade deal with Washington that lowered reciprocal tariffs to 15 percent in exchange for further opening of its markets to American automobiles and agricultural products, along with a $550 billion investment pledge. The Trump administration has warned Korea will be subject to a 25 percent reciprocal tariff unless it reaches a deal before Aug. 1. Meanwhile, Kim also met with US Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, who doubles as chairman of the National Energy Council, this week to discuss strengthening cooperation in areas such as liquefied natural gas, energy security and critical minerals, according to his office. Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo also held separate meetings with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in a bid to make progress in trade negotiations. (Yonhap)
Korea Herald
6 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Trump remains open to dialogue with Kim to achieve 'fully denuclearized' N. Korea: White House
WASHINGTON -- US President Donald Trump remains open to engagement with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to achieve a "fully denuclearized" North Korea, a White House official said Friday, a day after his administration announced a raft of actions to disrupt Pyongyang's illicit revenue generation schemes. The Trump administration unveiled a package of actions against North Korea on Thursday, including offering rewards for information about seven North Korean nationals involved in a scheme believed to raise funds for the reclusive regime's nuclear and missile programs. "President Trump in his first term held three historic summits with North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un that stabilized the Korean Peninsula and achieved the first ever leader-level agreement on denuclearization," the official told Yonhap News Agency via email. "The president retains those objectives and remains open to engaging with Leader Kim to achieve a fully de-nuclearized North Korea," the official added. The official was responding to a question about whether Thursday's actions against the North signaled that the Trump administration assesses diplomacy with Pyongyang to be difficult for the time being, and that it would focus on sanctions and other pressure-focused measures to bring North Korea back to dialogue. Expectations have persisted that Trump might seek to resume his personal diplomacy with Kim, which led to three in-person meetings between them -- the first in Singapore in 2018, the second in Hanoi in February 2019 and the third at the inter-Korean truce village of Panmunjom in June 2019. Last month, Trump said he will get "the conflict solved" with North Korea if there is one -- a remark that added to the anticipation that he might want to kick-start dialogue with Kim. On Thursday, the Trump administration took a series of steps against the North, including sanctioning a North Korean trading firm, warning that it "will not stand idly by" when Pyongyang profits from what it called criminal activities to fund its "destabilizing" weapons development programs.
Korea Herald
14 hours ago
- Korea Herald
US delays crucial ‘2+2' trade meeting with Korea
Seoul weighs $100 billion US investment from top chaebol groups to avert looming tariffs A high-level trade meeting between South Korea and the US was abruptly called off Thursday, just one day before it was set to take place in Washington, due to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's "urgent schedule." The delay has sparked concerns in Seoul as next week's tariff deadline approaches with insufficient time for a potential breakthrough. South Korea's Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Koo Yoon-cheol was set to depart for Washington when the US notified Seoul of the last-minute decision. Koo canceled the trip after receiving the notice while waiting at Incheon International Airport, just an hour before his scheduled flight. The now-delayed '2+2" dialogue was to take place between Koo and Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo from Korea, as well as Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer from the US. It would have marked the first such meeting under President Lee Jae Myung's new Cabinet. The high-stakes talks were seen in Seoul as a critical opportunity to make a breakthrough in trade talks before the Aug. 1 deadline, when a 25 percent 'reciprocal tariff' will be imposed on all Korean goods unless a new deal is reached. "Washington has apologized multiple times for postponing the meeting and proposed rescheduling the meeting between Bessent and Koo as soon as possible," Seoul's Finance Ministry said. While the US did not clarify the nature of Bessent's scheduling conflict, reports say he may accompany US President Donald Trump's trip to Scotland on July 25-29. This means it could be virtually impossible to reschedule the '2+2' meeting before the tariff deadline, further dimming hopes of a negotiated resolution in time. Despite the disruption, Yeo and Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan, who are already in Washington, will continue consultations with their US counterparts, including Greer, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and Secretary of Interior Doug Burgum, according to the Industry Ministry. South Korea has been pushing for reduced tariff rates or exemptions through a comprehensive deal covering both tariffs and broader economic cooperation. Korean exports currently face a 10 percent base tariff with additional levies imposed on key products, such as 25 percent tariffs on automobiles and auto parts, and 50 percent on steel and aluminum. Without a meaningful advancement in negotiations, this baseline tariff is scheduled to increase to 25 percent on Aug. 1, intensifying economic strain on the export-dependent country. Further adding to the pressure, Japan struck a deal with the US on Wednesday. The latter agreed to lower its tariff rate against Japan from 25 percent to 15 percent in exchange for a whopping $550 billion investment in the US and a difficult concession to open its market for more American automobiles and rice. Observers say Japan's deal could serve as a benchmark for South Korea in its own negotiations, as the two countries share similar trade dynamics with the US: both run comparable trade deficits and rely heavily on the US market for key exports, such as automobiles, semiconductors and electronics. Like Japan, South Korea is considering an investment package exceeding $100 billion with participation from the country's major conglomerates, including Samsung, SK, Hyundai Motor and LG, according to industry sources. The figure is expected to grow as additional corporate and government contributions are finalized. Seoul had planned to propose a $100 billion package during the now-postponed talks. President Lee was scheduled to meet with Samsung Electronics Chair Lee Jae-yong on Thursday afternoon, according to local media reports, with discussions expected to focus on the US investment and tariffs. Lee has held similar one-on-one meetings since last week, seeing Hyundai Motor Chair Chung Euisun on July 14, LG Group Chair Koo Kwang-mo on July 15, Hanwha Group Vice Chair Kim Dong-kwan on Tuesday and SK Group Chair Chey Tae-won on Wednesday. Meanwhile, National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac sought to dispel speculation that he was unable to have a face-to-face meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio during his visit to Washington. Wi explained that Rubio was urgently summoned by Trump, and was unable to meet as the meeting ran longer than expected. Wi said that "sufficient coordination had taken place via phone call" with Rubio, and that they had agreed to have an additional consultation, with the specific time and method to be arranged through working-level coordination. "The report that the US side refused the meeting, resulting in the cancellation of the talks, is inaccurate. Such misinformation not only undermines the reputations of the individuals involved, including Wi and Rubio, but could also negatively impact the trust between Korea and the US in the middle of sensitive communication," Wi said in a written statement.
