After returning home on the 20th from an eight-night, 10-day trip to the United States, People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok said, "The reason I decided to visit the United States was because, due to the Lee Jae-myung administration's diplomatic fiasco, the public is facing a serious crisis." However, Jang avoided specifics about whom he met and what was discussed during the trip, saying, "We met on the premise of confidentiality."
That morning, at the National Assembly, Jang held a press briefing and stated accordingly, "I deliberated deeply before deciding to visit the United States and fully anticipated controversy." Initially, Jang planned a two-night, four-day trip. But as his departure was moved up and additional meetings were added locally, the total stay was extended to eight nights and 10 days, and he returned via Incheon Airport at dawn that day.
Jang said, "I consistently did my best to carry out strategic party diplomacy with a focus on the national interest," adding, "I met many across the U.S. administration and Congress to hear their views and faithfully conveyed our position."
On concrete outcomes, he said, "We established a practical hotline with key Republican figures in the United States, creating a foundation of trust to shore up the wavering South Korea-U.S. alliance," and "We also opened channels of communication to continue mutual cooperation by meeting with major U.S. government officials at the White House and the State Department to discuss a host of economic issues, including trade negotiations."
He added, "As the international order shifts rapidly due to the war in Iran, the United States was strongly urging South Korea, its allied partner, to play a role commensurate with its economic and international standing," and "There were also confidential requests expressing a hope that Korea would fulfill the role that is needed."
Jang said, "The United States was also curious about what exactly President Lee Jae-myung said regarding Israel," and claimed, "We were able to confirm that the United States, too, views the South Korean president's remarks seriously."
He continued, "Even if the Lee Jae-myung administration's view of the South Korea-U.S. alliance differs greatly from past conservative governments, I strongly persuaded them that public support and trust in the alliance remain unchanged and that South Korea will ultimately uphold the alliance."
In a subsequent Q&A, when asked which senior U.S. officials he had met, Jang avoided a direct answer, saying, "Regarding State Department or administration officials, we held briefings and meetings on current issues on the premise that whom we met and at what rank would remain confidential."
He added, "As a matter of diplomatic custom, I do not think it is appropriate to disclose this," and, "Like Minister Chung Dong-young of the Ministry of Unification, disregarding diplomatic practice and arbitrarily revealing any secret creates major problems with the United States and diplomatic issues."
Regarding criticism over a photo taken in Washington, D.C., with Supreme Council member Kim Min-su, he said, "It was taken while we briefly waited for the next schedule after finishing official business at Congress," adding, "I hope a single photo that we did not officially release does not overshadow the entirety of my U.S. trip's outcomes."
He also countered Democratic Party of Korea leader Jung Chung-rae's criticism that Jang failed to meet "heavyweight figures" on the U.S. side during his trip, asking, "When the president and the Minister of Unification are causing diplomatic incidents like this, would American counterparts readily agree to meet a South Korean politician right now?"
Regarding calls from some quarters for him to resign over the party's falling approval ratings, he retorted, "I am a leader chosen by party members. I will decide my course of action as needed depending on the situation." Asked to assess the results of the U.S. trip, he said, "It is not for me to evaluate; I believe the public will."