U.S. President Donald Trump met with Ambassador to the United States Kang Kyung-hwa and said he is maintaining "the best cooperative relationship with President Lee Jae-myung."
According to the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the United States on the 20th, President Trump stated accordingly at a credentials presentation ceremony held at the White House in Washington, D.C., on the 16th. Fourteen ambassadors attended, including Ambassador Kang and the envoys from Indonesia, Brunei, and Ukraine.
Recalling the U.S.-Korea summit in Oct., President Trump reportedly told Ambassador Kang to "convey my special regards to President Lee."
President Trump also said, "My expectations for Ambassador Kang are high," and asked, "Please continue to contribute to the sustained development of the U.S.-Korea alliance." Ambassador Kang served as Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Moon Jae-in administration from June 2017 to Feb. 2021, overlapping with Trump's first term.
Ambassador Kang said, "As the ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the Republic of Korea, I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as a bridge for the development of U.S.-Korea relations on the ground in Washington," adding, "As ambassador to the United States, I will do my best to ensure the strategic cooperation between the two countries advances further in all areas, including security, the economy, and advanced technology."