Within the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, voices are growing that the U.S. government should apologize over the recent detention of Korean workers in Georgia, United States, and the process of the South Korea-U.S. tariff negotiations.
First-term lawmakers of the Democratic Party of Korea in the group "Deomincho" — Lee Jae-gang, Kim Jun-hyeok, Kim Sang-uk, Kwon Hyang-yeop, and Lim Mi-ae — visited the U.S. Embassy in Korea on the afternoon of the 22nd and delivered a letter of protest regarding the detention of Koreans in Georgia and the South Korea-U.S. tariff negotiations.
Rep. Lee Jae-gang said, "We visited the embassy to deliver (the letter) to Joseph Yun, chargé d'affaires ad interim at the U.S. Embassy in Korea, and to lodge a strong protest with the United States." Rep. Kim Jun-hyeok also said, "I am here to deliver a letter protesting the Georgia detention incident and the tariff bomb."
The letter delivered by Deomincho lawmakers included demands such as an official apology and acknowledgment of responsibility for human rights violations suffered by the people of an ally, a pledge to improve systems including closing institutional gaps and enhancing law enforcement guidelines, and other commitments to reform.
Earlier, on 17th, Deomincho lawmakers held a press conference and said, "The U.S. government must clearly apologize for the humiliation and human rights violations suffered by the people of an ally and identify where responsibility lies among the relevant agencies," adding, "We demand an official apology and acknowledgment of responsibility from the U.S. government."
On the South Korea-U.S. tariff negotiations, the lawmakers also said, "The U.S. government must stop imposing unreasonable taxation," and, "Respecting the spirit of the free trade agreement (FTA), it should stop discriminatory tariff imposition on key items such as Korean-made automobiles, steel, and agricultural products, and conduct negotiations within a reasonable framework that respects the international trade order."
They said, "Treating the people of an ally in such a humiliating and inhumane manner is not merely a law enforcement issue but a serious diplomatic incident that could undermine trust in the alliance," adding, "This is by no means something to be taken lightly."
Kim Tae-nyeon, a five-term senior lawmaker of the Democratic Party of Korea, delivered the same message. In a post on Facebook on the 21st, Kim wrote, "The Trump administration is forcing an investment of 470 trillion won, more than half of the nation's annual budget! This is not negotiation but bandit-style pressure," adding, "Who could accept a one-sided coercion that ignores the size and realities of the national economy?"
Kim said, "Following the tariff bomb, the increase in defense cost sharing, U.S. base issues, and the Georgia detention case, now they are telling us to pay 140 million won per year for a single visa," criticizing, "The dignity of a great power has disappeared, and there is no difference from a thug who blocks the way and extorts money."
He said, "Coerced investment that ignores economic sovereignty, tariff blackmail that infringes on trade sovereignty — there is only one essence. A greedy mindset that says, 'What's mine is mine, and what's yours is also mine,'" adding, "If such one-sided and excessive demands continue as they do now, the Korean people will never be able to accept them."