U.S. President Donald Trump said on the 25th (local time) on his social media platform Truth Social, "What is happening in Korea right now? It looks like a purge or a revolution."
Trump continued, saying, "In such a situation, we cannot do business there," adding, "I will meet with the new president at the White House today."
Trump's reaction came about three hours before his summit meeting with President Lee Jae-myung at the White House. The presidential office stated that it would analyze the situation accurately.
Ahead of the summit to be held at the Washington D.C. Press Center, Spokesperson Kang Yoo-jung, who was giving a schedule briefing, said, "It seems that this needs to be confirmed." When asked if the presidential office was aware of Trump's social media post, he responded, "Given that many fake news articles are emerging domestically, it seems that it needs to be confirmed whether it is an official account."
It is reported that Spokesperson Kang did not seem to be aware of this fact at the time, as Trump's social media post went up almost simultaneously with his briefing.
The precise intent behind Trump's references to a 'purge' or 'revolution' has not been confirmed, but interpretations suggest they relate to ongoing special investigations into internal unrest in Korea and probes into former President Yoon Suk-yeol.
Some believe it is a critical message regarding the yellow envelope law (amendment to Articles 2 and 3 of the Labor Union Act), which passed during the main session of the National Assembly on the 24th. This law allows subcontractor unions to demand negotiations with the prime contractor and includes provisions that consider management judgment by employers as a subject of disputes. Moreover, it becomes considerably more difficult for companies to claim damages related to illegal strikes.
As a result, not only the domestic industry but also U.S. corporations, including the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea, have been vocal in their criticism of the yellow envelope law even before its passage in the National Assembly. Hector Villarreal, representative of General Motors (GM) in Korea, recently strongly requested reconsideration of the law's implementation during a closed meeting with the Ministry of Employment and Labor, stating, "If the yellow envelope law is implemented, the U.S. headquarters may reassess its business sites in Korea."