Kim Yong-beom, the Deputy Minister of the Presidential Office, noted that during the preparations for the U.S.-South Korea summit held last month, "President Lee Jae-myung said that it was okay if he could not attend the summit, but he could not sign on anything unreasonable."
On the 1st, Kim appeared on the YouTube show 'MaeBul Show' and explained the process of preparing for the U.S.-South Korea summit. He stated that ahead of this summit, President Lee told his aides, "It's okay if we don't hold the summit. I cannot sign on unreasonable matters."
Kim said, "(President Lee) mentioned that 'the one who has the courage to jump off the cliff wins,' and he said, 'it's okay not to hold the summit,' which made it easier to negotiate."
He said, "When I was going to Japan, I thought I could hold the summit with Japan alone," noting that negotiations with the United States were that urgent.
Kim also acknowledged that specific arrangements are needed regarding the details of the $350 billion investment fund agreed upon by South Korea and the U.S. He mentioned, "Trade was concluded on July 31. There were significant disagreements between the U.S. and us on the specifics of how to manage the $350 billion," adding, "It's like a fierce battle, and there are still many disagreements."
Kim highlighted 'MASGA (Make America's Shipping Great Again)' as the key keyword for this U.S.-South Korea tariff negotiation deal. He stated, "The idea came from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and we are preparing to recognize the Deputy Director who proposed the MASGA idea and who suggested bringing pictures of mad cow disease."